


Running Scared

by indiepjones46



Series: Time in a Bottle [4]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Biting, Bottom Barry, Christmas Eve sucks for Barry, Christmas Presents, Costume Kink, Dirty Talk, Dom/sub Undertones, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Len despises vigilantes, Len is a master planner, M/M, Multi, Mutual Masturbation, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Porny porn porn, Possessive Behavior, Random Historical Name Dropping, Secrets, Seriously stop crying Barry, Sex, Tears, Threesome - F/F/M, Top Leonard Snart, Violence, Visit to Star City, coldflash - Freeform, curse words, doing lunch, dubious Spanish phrases, good vibrations, i changed it up but still pretty close, i love porn, metahuman powers, mild spoilers most recent episode, so many feels, the usual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2017-01-20
Packaged: 2018-09-12 10:51:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 54,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9068425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indiepjones46/pseuds/indiepjones46
Summary: It's been three weeks since the night Caitlin almost killed Cisco, and she had disappeared without a trace. Cisco is pissed and taking it out on Barry. If that weren't bad enough, he was stressed about Len moving back to Central City, moving in with him, and beginning his first real adult relationship. With Len. To top off everything else, it was Christmas Eve, and if he didn't get killed before 6 pm, he would be celebrating the holidays at Joe's house...with Len. It almost made him wish for another attack by Savitar. Almost.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Don't own or profit from anything copyrighted by the show or DC or the network. Anything I pulled directly from the show was only borrowed in the spirit of telling a story, so you will see bits of actual dialogue directly from the last episode, as well as many of the same events, but with my own different twist on them. Hope you like it!
> 
> Beta: nah, just me. I try to catch little mistakes on the readthrough, but I'm still just human. Don't roast me, y'all.
> 
> Notes: Thank you to all of you awesome guys who have stuck with me throughout this crazy series! I am having so much fun writing this and communicating with each of you. I think you'll enjoy the arc of the story. I'm pulling some plot directly from the last episode of the show, but because I'm me, I had to change it up to fit my own storyline. I hope you approve of the blatant canon sprinkled in among my own pure fabrication. Be patient, you lusty bunch! Sexy times will commence soon. That's just how I roll.

_ 10 am, Christmas Eve Morning _

It had been over three weeks since the night that Cisco almost died, and Barry was stressed the fuck out. Not only did he have to contend with his ex-con boyfriend moving back to town, but Barry was moving in _with_ him. This was some big, serious shit, and Barry was naturally a little concerned about it. Add on top of that his two best friends who had completely gone off the deep end, and Barry was just about done. Unfortunately, that was not the end of his troubles, because apparently, there was a powerful speed god named Savitar thirsting for his blood and sending his lackey, Alchemy, to build an army of metahumans for him. But really, what was any of that compared to the fact that it was Christmas Eve, and if he didn’t get killed by 6 pm, he would be going to Joe’s house for egg nog…with Len. It would be the first time that Joe, Iris, Len, and Barry would all be in the same room together, and Barry foolishly wished that Savitar would attack and prevent them all from having to go. The way things were trending that day, though, made Barry rue that rebellious little wish. Within the first two hours, Christmas Eve had turned into a clusterfuck of epic proportions.

It began when Len, his ex-villain turned current lover/mob boss, had arrived at S.T.A.R. Labs, unannounced, with Caitlin who had been completely off the radar for the past three weeks. Not only had she gone missing in body, but Barry and Cisco had both been locked out of the modulator by Caitlin. She was just gone. This was the first time either he or Cisco had seen Caitlin since the night she almost killed him, and the fact that she had hidden from them behind Len had sent Cisco into a rage. Barry had to physically restrain Cisco from doing something very stupid, and he knew Cisco was pissed when he started yelling in fluent Spanish. If Barry’s rusty high school classes were to be trusted, he was pretty sure Cisco had called Len a “psychotic murdering bastard son of a goat.”

Things with Cisco had already been extremely touchy, especially since Barry had no idea where Caitlin was, either, and Len had flat refused to tell him. All Len would repeat is, _“She is safe with someone I trust on a very well-deserved vacation. You have to trust me on this.”_ Barry trusted him implicitly. If Len said Cait was drinking margaritas and getting a tan, then that’s where Caitlin was. The problem, however, was that Cisco didn’t trust Len, and the fact that Lisa had disappeared right along with Caitlin had him nearly crazy with pent up frustration and aggression. It had spilled over onto the only available target: Barry. For three long weeks, Cisco had flayed him alive with his questions and accusations, and for three long weeks, Barry had nearly bit his tongue in half to keep from cutting his best friend down to size. Cisco had refused to believe that Len wouldn’t tell Barry anything more about their friend, and Barry felt his loyalties being stretched to their limits, and their relationship had begun to devolve rapidly.

So, when Len had strolled in the door, dressed in a tailored navy suit, with Caitlin trailing uncertainly behind him, Barry had known that the shit was going to hit the fan.

Cisco sprang out of his chair, his nostrils flared and cheeks ruddy, and immediately went on the attack. He demanded to know where she had been, who she had been with, if she had been with Lisa, why she hadn’t called to let them know she was safe, and why the fuck had she let Len whisk her away for three fucking weeks. Caitlin flinched at his outburst and stepped back as Len stepped between them with his hand up in a staying gesture.

Cisco rounded on Len and snarled, “What did you to her? She’s hanging behind you like a kicked puppy! Did you hurt her? Imprison her?” Barry knew it was going to be bad when Cisco switched to Spanish and back to English without realizing it. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, Cisco’s fiery temper exploded soon after. _“Tu crees muy muy._ _No, tu eres un monstruo. Te veo, cabr_ _ón_ , and I will hurt you really badly right now if you don’t get the fuck away from her.”

Barry moved before Cisco could finish raising his hand with purpose. Barry stopped him from firing a vibe at Len by pinning in his arms from behind and locking him tight. Len appeared completely unimpressed by Cisco’s outburst, but the only thing that stopped Cisco’s mouth and fruitless struggles was Caitlin herself.

With her head held high, she stepped out from behind Len, and snapped, “Cisco, stop! Don’t you understand what’s going on here? Len’s not controlling me. He’s protecting you all _from_ me. I’m a little better now, but I’m still afraid of accidentally hurting you again, so I asked him to stay between us. Len’s not the monster, here, Cisco. I am.” An alarm sounded from her pocket, and she fished it out to type in a few quick commands. She took a visible deep breath and resumed her speech as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred. “I was completely out of control that night, and I did something really terrible, and I’m not just talking about almost killing you. What happened when I kissed you had been an accident, but what happened after they took you to the hospital? That had been done on purpose, and Frost had complete control and no one was there to stop Her. Until Len showed up. She’s afraid of him, Cisco, and that gave me the strength to overcome Her. He’s done nothing but help me. Hell! Help us both! He’s the one that saved your life that night! Did you know that?”

Barry released Cisco as he felt all the fight drain out of his friend’s body. “What are you talking about, Caitlin? Barry told me that you returned my body heat. _You_ are the one that saved me, not _him_ ,” Cisco insisted as his feet carried him closer to where Caitlin still hovered at Len’s elbow.

Barry began to move and intervene, but he glanced to Len first. He met his lover’s icy blue gaze, and they had an entire conversation without even speaking a word. In the lift of Len’s brow, twist of his lips, and the tilt of his head, Barry read Len’s message: _Let them hash this out alone. We are just the referees._ Barry nodded slightly in order to alert Len that he would follow his lead and took a small step back. Neither of his two best friends even seemed to remember he and Len were there anyway, so their heated exchange continued unabated.

Caitlin’s nose twitched and her sparkling midnight eyes glittered with gathering tears. “No, Cisco. I had no idea what to do, because I didn’t even realize what I had done to you. I called Len, and it was he that explained to me what had happened and how to fix it! It wasn’t me! I almost killed you, Cisco, and I didn’t even fucking know it!”

Shrill alarms beeped and Caitlin’s eyes began to fade colors. Len didn’t move, but his voice cracked like a whip when he snapped, “Caitlin! Remember, _you_ control your emotions, not _Her_.”

Barry’s stomach churned with acid as he watched his best friend visibly struggle with herself while he placed a restraining hand on Cisco’s shoulder to keep him from approaching her. Caitlin gasped hard and her eyes darkened back to a deep blue and her posture relaxed.

Cisco jerked away from Barry’s hold and approached her slowly. “Caity? I don’t blame you for what happened that night. That was no one’s fault but my own. You tried to tell me over and over that you needed Len’s help, but I was too blinded by irrational jealousy to believe you. I pushed you too hard. It was stupid and selfish, and apparently, really dangerous, too.” He cautiously reached his hand out toward her like she was a wild animal and added softly, “I’m sorry, Caitlin. I didn’t listen to you, and everything that happened that night was because of me, not you. And I mean, _everything_.”

Caitlin shook her head and rubbed her eyes. “No, Cisco. After they took you on the ambulance, something else happened. I did something as Killer Frost, and it was bad. Really, really bad. But Len was there, and he took care of everything. He took care of _me_.”

Barry’s eyes darted over to Len with a question. Len had never mentioned anything about another incident after Cisco was rushed to the hospital. Barry asked his silent question, and Len tipped his head toward Caitlin to explain, _“Not my story to tell. You’ll have to hear it from her.”_ Barry grudgingly accepted that, but he was still pissed that Len had kept something like that from him for over three weeks. This was not the way to begin a serious relationship, and Barry made a mental note to remind Len of such at a more opportune time.

“What did you do, Cait? What happened after I was gone that night?” Cisco asked quietly, a hard edge in his tone. “It must have been bad, because when I tried to find any CCTV footage from that night, there was a big gaping hole two hours long in every surveillance system within a mile radius of that abandoned gas station. That’s why I’ve been so crazy, Caitlin. I thought Len had it erased because he took you or hurt you. What was I supposed to think when I didn’t hear a word from you or see you for over three weeks? I don’t care what you did that night, Caity. I know you, and I know you are strong enough to take Her down for good.”

Barry glanced back in time to watch Caitlin shrug wearily. “I hope so, Cisco, but She’s strong, too. I started all of this from the time my father died. I created Killer Frost a long time ago, way before there was ever any ice or powers to contend with. I created Her, I allowed Her control, and I have to suffer the consequences of those decisions. That’s what I’ve come here to tell you both. I don’t trust myself in the lab right now, so I will be working primarily from home for a little while until I trust myself not to hurt either of you again.”

“What? No!” Barry and Cisco shouted over top of each other. Barry won out, and continued, “Caitlin, we need you here at the labs. We’re a team! We need you.”

Cisco remained strangely quiet, so Caitlin went on to explain, “I’m not leaving the labs or either of you. I’m just stepping back for a bit to create some distance. I will still be available by phone and computer, and can be here in a pinch if there’s an emergency. Otherwise, I will work from home with Kimi Sato on setting up the scholarship fund and researching how to build a non-profit organization. Believe me, I am not leaving my place here. Okay?”

Barry turned to Cisco, sure he was going to back Barry up in protest, but Cisco just clenched his jaw and swallowed hard. Cisco’s voice was tight and pissed, but his words conveyed a different tone. “Whatever you need, Caitlin. I’ll make sure your laptop is wired directly into our network with a VPN, as well as doing the same for your cell phone. Take as much time as you need. Just, uh, don’t disappear again, okay? Talk to us. Talk to _me_. Please.”

Caitlin nodded and choked out, “I will. I promise,” and turned away to walk swiftly to her desk in the medical bay. Barry watched her go with concern, but something told him that she needed to be alone right then.

He turned back to look at Cisco, only to find his best friend and his boyfriend having an intense stare down contest. Cisco said, “You broke your own rules, Len. You said I would be there for every session. Don’t try to cut me out of her life, _pendejo_. She needs me.”

Barry froze and did his best to disappear from the tense showdown between two of the people that meant the most to Barry. Len’s lips curled slowly in a mocking smile, and he drawled, “She wasn’t safe for either of you to be around for a while, Cisco. Now, she’s ready to move on to the next step, and that is where you will come in. I think you’ll be quite pleased with my suggestions, but now is not the time to discuss it.” He glanced meaningfully in Barry’s direction and Cisco followed his gaze. Barry scowled at both of them as Len continued, “We can chat it over in full detail after the celebrations tonight. In the meantime, may I ask what progress you’ve made on researching Savitar? I assume you’ve still been working diligently toward helping Barry defeat a dangerous enemy, correct?”

Cisco’s jaw muscle jumped, but he shook his head reluctantly. “No, there’s no mention of a speed god named Savitar in any written document or on any website across the web. All we know is that he says he’s a speed god and Barry’s the only one who can see him. We’re going to have to approach him from a different angle.”

Eager to change the subject, even if it meant talking about a blood-thirsty speed god, Barry chimed in, “Well, we know that Alchemy is Savitar’s high priest, and he gets his power from the stone that he uses to create metahumans. Maybe if we can find out what that stone is and how it works, then maybe we can figure out how to stop him.”

“Excellent idea, Barry,” Len drawled as he slowly sauntered his way over to him. “Cisco, why don’t you do your magic on the computer and see what you can come up with while Barry and I find somewhere quiet where can…talk.”

Cisco rolled his eyes with a huff, but he obediently headed for his workstation to plop behind the keyboard while Barry and Len drifted into each other’s arms. Barry whispered in his lover’s ear, “We have a lot to talk about, Leonard. You’ve been keeping secrets from me, and that shit’s not going to fly between us anymore.”

Len’s arms snuck around Barry’s waist and he pulled Barry into his body for a leisurely embrace. His breath tickled the sensitive skin under Barry’s ear as Len murmured, “Scarlet, I was honoring her wishes by holding my tongue, but if she had been in any danger, I would have told you immediately. I promise you.” Len kissed a slow, seductive trail up Barry’s neck before adding, “Everything is going to work out, Barry. Just wait and see.”

“Hey, lovebirds,” Cisco hailed, his tone dripping with sarcasm, “I think I found something. I got a dissertation here from Oxford University about the myth of an ancient Hindu weapon called the ‘Brahmastra’. It’s a legendary artifact with incredible powers capable of, wait for it, creating metas.”

Barry and Len walked around to view the screen over Cisco’s shoulder. “Guys, that looks just like Alchemy’s stone,” Barry breathed, excited by the breakthrough.

Cisco glanced at Barry with a raised eyebrow and smirk of triumph. “More importantly, look who wrote the paper,” Cisco said, as he pushed a button to pull the picture up on the large viewing screen.

Len was silent as they all stared at the picture, but Barry swore softly and said, “Son of a bitch. Julian Albert.”


	2. Chapter 2

_ 2:46 pm, Christmas Eve Day _

The past four hours after the revelation that Julian was connected to Alchemy had been incredibly busy for all of them. Like a snowball rolling down a hill, events spiraled out of control at S.T.A.R. Labs. First, Barry had confronted Julian about his paper on the Brahmastra, but had gotten nowhere in his little chat with the prickly Englishman. The only thing Barry had known to do at that point was to find another speedster who may have more information. The fact that Earth-3’s Flash was an exact doppelganger of his dead Dad had absolutely nothing to do with his decision to track him down. It had been a fun little break from his stressful day to speed in and save Jay Garrick’s life by apprehending Earth-3’s Trickster, and he was definitely not showing off for his father’s doppelganger _at all_. He needed Jay’s help and advice, and the quickest way to make that happen was to swoop in and save the day so he could bring Jay back with him to Earth-1.

It turned out to be a good decision, after all, because Jay proved to be a veritable font of information on Savitar and Alchemy. Barry had learned more about his enemies in one ten minute conversation with Jay than he had in weeks of research across the internet. Jay had been around a lot longer than Barry within the Speed Force, and he had seen and heard things that Barry still had no idea about, and it was humbling and reassuring at the same time. When Jay tried to tell Barry not to worry about the next attack and just live his life, Barry could have cried. It was like it was his dad standing right there in front of him all over again. Having Jay Garrick around was both the biggest blessing and the worst curse. It was like having his dad back alive again, but they were almost virtual strangers to each other.

Unbeknownst to Barry at the time, though, Cisco was having problems of his own. His brother’s ghost had begun to appear around the labs, smiling and walking away from him while Cisco was frozen with fear. On top of all this, Len was still there with Caitlin when Joe, Wally, and H.R. showed up with news of their own. It seemed Julian wasn’t answering his phone and no one could locate him. It was a foregone conclusion by this point that Julian was intimately connected to Alchemy. They needed to find him _fast_ before he turned more metas and summoned Savitar.

A shrill beeping alert sounded from Cisco’s computer and Barry’s attention snapped into focus when Cisco announced, “Jay, we got a hit. There’s energy matching the Brahmastra coming from the top of the Schults building.”

“That’s the stone,” Barry’s heart leapt with excitement. This was his chance to stop Alchemy once and for all. He looked to Jay Garrick, who was suited up and had grim lines of determination around his mouth. “Are you ready?”

“Ready,” Jay confirmed firmly.

“All right! I’m coming, too,” Wally announced, his excitement making him bounce on the soles of his feet.

A loud argument between Barry, Wally, H.R., and Joe broke out about that idea. Len and Caitlin, however watched on silently as it raged. It hadn’t been pretty, but Barry didn’t have time to get into all the reasons why it would be a bad idea to allow Wally to help this time. With steel coating his tone, he told Wally, “We’re definitely gonna talk about this later.” And he sped off with Jay without looking back. The Flash had work to do and a city to save.

Barry hadn’t been surprised that Julian had turned out to be Alchemy, but he hated that Jay had gotten hurt in his battle with Savitar. Thank God Jay had survived and Barry had been able to stop Julien in time before he recreated every single metahuman that had existed during Flashpoint. What had surprised Barry was Julien’s refusal to admit to anything about being Alchemy. Either the arrogant prick was a really good actor, or something else was work here. At least they had the box with the stone in it in their possession now. Cisco was working on it, but so far, there were no clues or hints as to how it was connected to Savitar without opening it. The last thing Barry knew, Cisco had taken it to his private lab and was going to run more tests while Barry finished talking to Julien. That’s when all hell broke loose _again_.

Somehow, Savitar convinced Cisco to open the box by tricking him into believing that the stone would bring his brother, Dante, back from the dead. While Cisco was lost in his illusion of Dante’s return, the stone opened a gateway for Savitar to appear in the labs. When the alarm sounded and Caitlin’s panicked voice came over the intercom to say, “Cisco’s workshop! Barry, he opened the box!”

When Barry arrived, his heart dropped to his feet when he saw the giant, metallic speed god hovering behind his oblivious best friend. Before Barry could warn him, Savitar snarled, “Bow to your god!” and teleported straight for Barry. It was the fight of his life to keep the speed god from killing him while ensuring their battle didn’t harm Cisco. He made a break for it and lured Savitar deeper into the labs and away from his friends and family. He could only hope that Caitlin would be able to convince Cisco to close the damned box.

Barry knew he was losing, and badly, at the hand of the powerful speedster, and there was no one there who could help him. The only other ones that could even see Savitar were Jay and Wally. One of them was too injured from his last battle, and the other one was too green to do anything but get killed. Barry was alone in this fight, and all he could do was concentrate on not dying long enough for someone to close the box. So, it was to Barry’s shock when he heard Wally shout out, “Uh, yo! Metal mouth! Clearly, nobody taught you how to play nice with others.” And Savitar was on Wally in a heartbeat. In a matter of seconds, Savitar was standing over top of them both, long metal spikes protruding from his knuckles as he stalked them for the final blow. Right before he could slam the spikes home in their chests, though, he winked out of existence.

Barry laughed weakly with relief and told Wally, “Thanks.”

Wally laughed with equal parts terror and exhilaration and replied, “You kidding? That was awesome!”

They all congregated back in Cisco’s lab to try to determine their next step. It was clear that the box held the key to summoning the speed god, but the real question became what to do with the box and stone. Their only link to both was Julien. It had been Cisco’s idea to use the box and stone as a way to speak directly to Savitar through Julien’s brainwave connection to the speed god. After obtaining his reluctant permission, Cisco hooked him up with EEG connectors to the box, and Caitlin administered a sedative to put Julian completely asleep.

Barry looked around at his strongest allies standing with him as he faced off with the powerful speed god. Len was standing nearby, but a step behind Barry, clearly broadcasting his confidence in Barry’s ability to handle it while still being close enough to watch his back. Joe, Wall, and H.R. hung back the furthest, but Cisco and Caitlin were right in the thick of it on the front lines with Barry. He didn’t even stop to consider if this plan would even work, because he already knew it would. Anything Cisco put his mind to, the guy always accomplished it.

Barry’s blood turned to ice when Julien’s eyes popped open to stare them all down with eerie hostility and a deep, metallic voice used Julien’s mouth to say, “Hello, Barry. It’s been a while.”

Barry stepped carefully closer to his former coworker. “Savitar?” As if he didn’t already know.

Julien looked around the room and made eye contact with each person in the room, pausing longest when he arrived to Len. “None of you are on your knees. It’s a smart move to bow before a deity.”

“You’re not God,” Barry snapped, even as his stomach iced over in fear. Savitar was not just strong; he was nearly invincible with his power.

Julien’s dead, soulless eyes remained fixated on Len as he replied lazily, “To be a god, you just have to make people believe you are.”

This time, it was Len that replied with a bold, lazy drawl, “I don’t believe in gods. You’re nothing more than another man with too much power who has been driven mad with it. Like all other before you, your temple will come crashing down around you.”

“You should believe in me, Len,” Savitar addressed him by name before breaking eye contact to look at each one of them again. “I hold the power of life and death over all of you.”

Caitlin blurted, “How do you know so much about us?”

Julien turned his flat gaze on Caitlin and replied with the sound of grating metal, “I know you, Caitlin.” His eyes moved to each person as he named them off, “Cisco, Joe, Wally. The fake Wells. I know all your fears and I know your weaknesses. I know you better than you know yourselves. I know your destinies.”

Barry saw savage glee light Julien’s eyes as Savitar continued with lethal prophecy, “One shall betray you. One shall fall. One will suffer a fate worse than death. This is the knowledge I have for you about your everlasting damnation.”

Barry couldn’t listen to another word. “Who are you?”

Julien’s lips smirked and Savitar said, “I am the future, Flash.”

“What do you want from us?” Barry snapped, his patience getting thinner by the moment. This metahuman, this _god_ , was threatening everything and everyone that Barry held dear. He could not be allowed to touch them.

“Everything!” Savitar snarled, twisting Julien’s expression into one of hatred. “Everything you took from me, I want it back! And I’m gonna take it back. Then? I will destroy you.”

Something didn’t add up here for Barry. “Then why haven’t you already? If you’re all-powerful, then why don’t you just go ahead and kill us all now? Be done with it? Because you _can’t_.” Barry knew it as surely as he knew the taste of Len’s lips. He was right about this.

Savitar confirmed his suspicions when he growled, “You did this to me. You trapped me in eternity; your future self. You did this to me, Barry, and now the age of my revenge rises. My freedom is at hand. You will feel my wrath! The wrath of Savitar!”

As Barry watched on with fascinated horror, Cisco darted in to disconnect the leads that attached Julien to the stone. He blinked rapidly and his tone was confused when Julien said, “Did it work?”

Everyone was frozen with shock and dismay at what they had just witnessed. Everyone except for H.R. who sprang into animated talking. “That was so scary. I mean, that was-“ he looked around the room for support, “Was it not truly frightening what with the voice and the prophecies, and the oh!” H.R. seemed practically overcome with the drama of it all. “I mean, that was a scare-a-thon, wasn’t it? I’m gonna have a mint tea and a coffee and a lay down.”

Barry rolled his eyes and was secretly glad to see the strange new Wells leave so he and his team could come up with a real solution to this really big problem. All off them began to spout off ideas at the same time, with the exception of Len. He leaned against a desk negligently and watched each of the other people in the room panic, react, and make suggestions all without saying a word. When Barry met his gaze, Len only raised his eyebrow as if to say, _“You are the only one who can make the decision, Scarlet. What are you going to do?”_

Barry turned back to his friends and family and turned to the other experienced speedster in the room. “Jay? What do you think?”

His Dad’s doppelganger looked at Barry and said with conviction, “There’s only one thing we can do with it. Throw it into the Speed Force.”

Barry was blown away. “Wait, you can do that?”

Jay chuckled and assured him, “Oh, yeah. The Speed Force is eternity itself, an endless void of time and energy. It would be like trying to find it after it got lost in space.”

Cisco’s genius curiosity was ignited and he jumped into the conversation with intense speculation. “But that stone is loaded with gravimetric force. I mean, I don’t think you could run fast enough to reach the Speed Force and carry that at the same time,” he argued with Earth-3 Flash.

“He can with my help,” Jay replied confidently. He turned to Barry and explained, “We run as fast as we can. You trail behind me, siphon off some of my speed, combine it with your own, and when you have enough, throw that thing deep into the Speed Force.”

Barry looked over to Len and asked his opinion with the lift of his eyebrows. Len only tipped his head sideways and shrugged. Barry knew Len was saying, _“I can’t make this decision for you, Scarlet. You have to trust your instincts on this one.”_ Barry sighed and turned back to Jay and asked, “And that would work?”

“We need to find out,” Jay replied, his tone just like the one his dad had used to tell him to take out the trash when he was growing up.


	3. Chapter 3

_ 4:35 pm, Christmas Eve Day _

__

“Sure you’re up for this, Flash?” Jay Garrick asked Barry.

They were in the tunnel surrounding the particle accelerator getting ready to throw the box into the Speed Force itself. Barry was nervous, but he was also determined. If he and Len were going to have a real shot at a future together, then he had to erase the threat of Savitar from their lives. With a sharp nod of his head, he replied, “You got it, Flash.”

Cisco’s voice came over his com, and announced, “I’ll let you know when you reach optimal speed, Barry.” Barry nodded to confirm since he knew that everyone else, including Len, were watching from the monitors in the main lab as he and Jay prepared to open a doorway to the Speed Force.

They took their positions, and Jay shouted, “Ready…go!” And they took off with a blur of speed. They raced in circles, pushing their bodies to the limit, as they passed Mach 2 and sailed past 3. Barry could feel the weight of the Brahmastra slowing him down, but he only pushed himself to go faster. He could feel some of Jay’s speed trickling into his own speed force, and it gave him the extra boost to past the older speedster. He could see the wavy, swirling vortex to the Speed Force opening up, and he knew it was getting close to time to toss Savitar into its gaping jaws of nothingness.

Cisco’s voice came over his com and shouted, “Now, Barry!” And with one final burst of speed, Barry threw the box holding the stone as hard into the portal as he possibly could. He put every ounce of his kinetic power behind that throw, and he watched with triumph as it sailed through the portal. His smile faded almost immediately when the Speed Force detonated upon impact of the box, causing a backlash of power to spill out and snatch Barry inside along with the box.

He fell and landed on a dark, damp street. It was dark outside, but the area looked familiar. He was still in Central City, but a nearby newscast was discussing an event that hadn’t even happened yet. His eyes scanned the televised footage until he found the date. He swore softly when he saw that this broadcast was from five months in the future.

Before he could formulate a plan, the sound of a familiar, panicked voice cried out, “Don’t! Please, don’t. Don’t do this!”

Barry snuck around the corner of the building, and the sight that met his eyes made vomit surge up his throat. The person crying out for mercy was Barry himself, dressed in The Flash suit, as he faced down Savitar in all his savage glory. The speed god was holding Len by the scruff of his Captain Cold parka and Savitar’s other hand was poised for a death blow. Beneath the speed god’s giant, metallic foot, Len’s cold gun lay in shattered pieces.

Savitar’s tone was full of malicious satisfaction as he snarled, “Now, finally, I am free of you.”

Future Barry stumbled forward, his hand outstretched to Len in supplication. Len didn’t look afraid. He just looked resigned and desperate for Barry to hear something. “Barry, I love you. I have loved you for so long.”

Current Barry watched with growing horror as his future self begged, “No, don’t say that, alright? You’re going to be all right.” His future self switched back to Savitar and pleaded, “I’m begging you, just-“

Savitar cut him off abruptly by popping a long, lethal spike out of his free hand. “You lose, Barry.”

“Noooo!” Future Barry screamed as he sprang into a leap to try and save Len, and present Barry cried out wordlessly when Savitar pulled his arm back and slammed the sharp spike straight through Len’s heart.

Both Barrys were shocked into inaction during that frozen second of time as Len ‘s body arched with the impact and blood spurted from his mouth and from the gaping wound in his chest. With a savage laugh, Savitar dropped Len’s body to the ground and disappeared. Barry watched in paralyzed horror as his future self ran to gather Len’s limp body into his arms. “Hey, hey, Len,” he crooned as he held Len’s face steady to search out his eyes. “Len! Hey, no, Len, please!” But Len did not answer or even move, and both versions of Barry broke down into soul-shattering sobs.

Barry’s glimpse of the future was cut off abruptly when a hand reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him backward. A feeling of weightless, blurred speed interrupted his tears over Len’s death, and a few moments later, he found himself back in the particle accelerator with Jay Garrick.

“Jay?” Barry asked, incredulous and shocked. “What the hell was that? Where was I?”

Jay looked grim as he answered, “The future.”

Barry had already known the answer, but he was still having trouble accepting it. “I’ve never run to the future. I’ve traveled to the past, but I always came back to the present.” He shook his head and told him urgently, “I saw myself. And Len. And Savitar. He killed Len! That’s five months from now, Jay. Is that actually gonna happen?”

Jay sighed heavily and answered truthfully, “I don’t know. You shouldn’t have seen that.”

Barry couldn’t come to grips with this version of his future. He couldn’t allow it to happen. “This doesn’t make sense. We-we just got rid of the Philosopher’s Stone. I mean, Savitar shouldn’t have even been there! Oh, my God.” He swallowed thickly and continued, “He’s dead. I just watched Len die. I saw myself try to save him, but I wasn’t fast enough. Jay, tell me this isn’t my destiny.” He knew Jay didn’t have all the answers, but the man looked and sounded so much like his Dad that it didn’t matter. He needed that comfort and reassurance from him right then or he would go crazy.

Jay’s face creased with worry and concern, and he looked so much like Barry’s Dad that it instantly made Barry feel better. Jay said, “What you saw was one possibility of the future. What may be, or what may not.”

Barry could live with that. It meant that he had some chance of preventing it from ever happening. He reiterated that thought by saying, “Okay, then I can stop this from happening. I can run back there-“

“You can’t go back there,” Jay interrupted him firmly. “Not again. Not ever.”

Barry was getting angry now. He refused to give up on Len without a fight. “Alright, then I’ll figure out exactly how it happened, how we wind up on that street, and I’ll just make sure we don’t go there. And if we don’t go there-“

“Barry!” Jay cut him off again, this time allowing frustration to color his tone. “This is why speedsters don’t travel to the future. Nobody should know this much about their own. Just as there are infinite Earths in the multiverse, there are infinite possibilities to the future. It’s always bending, always changing. Every decision you make creates another alternative.”

Barry didn’t care what he had to do. He would protect Len despite the cost. “I won’t let Len die,” Barry warned his friend.

Jay reached out to squeeze Barry’s arm in sympathy, and replied, “The future isn’t written yet, and it might not even turn out to be what you saw. You need to focus on the here and now. You have to live your life _now_.”

Barry nodded and assured Jay he would try to forget about what he had seen, but they both knew it wasn’t going to happen. Jay wished him well, told him to call if he needed help again, and sent his well-wishes for a happy holiday to the friends who were waiting on Barry to return to the lab. Barry took his time returning to the main lab where everyone, including Len, were waiting for him. He walked slowly, his hands running through his hair nervously as he relived every horrifying moment of Len’s death in the future. How was he supposed to stop it from happening?

He reached the lab before he was ready, and Len was the first one waiting on him when he walked in the door. Len pinched Barry’s chin between his fingers and searched Barry’s eyes for clues on what had happened when he disappeared, but Barry shuttered his fear and panic behind false cheer. “Hey, guys,” he offered weakly, as Len stepped back with scowl.

Before anyone else could speak, Len asked, “Are you okay, Scarlet? You and Jay disappeared, and-“

Barry hurried to cut him off before he could ask any questions. “Nah, I’m okay. I’m just glad to see you,” he told Len honestly. He didn’t care that he had a large audience when he slipped in to place a soft, clinging kiss to Len’s lips.

Len breathed into his mouth, “We’ll discuss this later, Barry.”

Barry ignored the quiet promise and faced the rest of the room. Caitlin asked, “So, it worked? The stone?”

Barry allowed Len to pull him into his body and leaned on his lover’s strength. “Yeah, it’s gone. The stone is lost in the Speed Force,” Barry lied through his teeth. It wasn’t lost for long, because Savitar was going to come back.

Cisco sighed heavily and said, “Good, good. I don’t know about you guys, but being mind-punked by a speed god that we piss off in the future, but it’s enough to kill your Christmas spirit.”

Barry secretly agreed with Cisco. Right then, Barry wanted nothing more than to take Len back to the compound and lock themselves into their suite for the next year. H.R., unfortunately, had another plan. With jolly cheer and bright optimism, he exclaimed, “Guys! Christmastime is here!” H.R. appealed to each person in the room as he continued, “We need a little Christmas. Right this very minute. Who’s with me?” He turned to point at Barry with an excited grin. “B.A.?”

Barry shook his head and sighed, but Joe stepped in to answer, “Well, he’s right. It’s Christmas, we should be together. Let’s have it.” He issued the challenge to everyone in the room, even Len who Joe had spent hours ignoring the existence of.

Wally agreed readily, Caitlin nodded shyly, and Cisco announced, “Okay, we’ll be there.”

Barry glanced at Len to get his reaction, and was pleasantly surprised to see his lover nod in agreement with the barest tip of his chin. “Okay, we’re in, too. We just need to go change and pick up a few things. We’ll meet you at your house around 6:30. That okay, Joe?”

Joe’s eyes warmed as they gazed upon Barry, and he replied, “That will be perfect, son. We’ll see you both then.” Joe clapped Barry on the back and nodded cordially to Len, and escorted Wally from the room so they could go home and get ready for company. Julien, who had remained present until the conclusion of what he had started, left abruptly, but Barry was relieved when he saw Caitlin rush after him. If anyone could turn the crusty Englishman into an actual human being, then it would be his sweet, friendly Caity.

Barry said his farewells to everyone, and he wasn’t surprised when Len fell into step with him as he headed toward the exit. They strolled down the hallway together, shoulder to shoulder, without a word being said between them. As they reached the large front doors of the labs, Len finally spoke. “Are you running home, or would you like to come with me?”

It seemed an innocent enough question to the average layperson, but Barry knew Len better than that. Barry knew that what Len was really saying was _“I’ll let you run away now, but I will catch you eventually and it will be worse for you. Or, you can leave here with me and get it over with now. The decision is yours, but I caution you against choosing the first option.”_ Barry knew exactly what Len was thinking, so he took the time to weigh his options carefully. On the one hand, he really didn’t want to talk about what he had just witnessed. It would do Len no good to know that Barry had saved his life only for him to be the cause of his death in five more months’ time. On the other hand, he couldn’t very well demand complete honesty from Len while keeping his own secrets from him. Which was the better way to go?

Barry swallowed thickly, and said, “I think I’m gonna run, if you don’t mind. I just need to clear my head after everything that’s happened today. I’ll meet you back at the compound in half an hour, okay?”

Len studied him seriously and licked his bottom lip before he nodded slowly. “Okay, Scarlet. You do what you gotta do. Just remember, though,” Len told him as he leaned in to tease at Barry’s lips, “I’ll do what I gotta do, too.” He pressed a firm, hard kiss against Barry’s lips and pivoted on his heel to walk toward the parking garage.

Barry suppressed a shiver of desire and foreboding. He knew that Len wouldn’t allow him to run forever. Barry would have to stop sometime, and Len would be right there waiting for him. Barry opened the doors of the labs and allowed the cold, winter air to invigorate and wake him up. He needed to be free and just think for a while. He needed the freezing winds to rush past his face and wash him clean after what he had witnessed in the future. He needed to try to forget it happened by the time he met Len back at their home.

With that thought in mind, Barry raced away into the frigid Christmas Eve night. He enjoyed the blur of multi-colored Christmas lights whizzing past his face, and he didn’t even mind that the dark, cloudy skies had opened up and began to pour a steady drizzle of icy rain down on his body. He needed that icy pain to dull the emotional turmoil that boiling and bubbling deep inside him. He couldn’t let Len know what happens five months from now. There was no reason to even tell him, because Barry wasn’t going to allow it to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Okay! Here's the first three chapters for you guys to chew on. Go ahead! Taste it, let it roll around in your mouths, and swallow it down before you tell me what you think. While you guys do that, I will be sitting in my dark garage, wearing my new S.T.A.R. Laboratories navy blue hoodie, and banging away at the next chapter. Don't worry, friends. You're going to see a lot more before Christmas Eve lets go of Barry and Len!**


	4. Chapter 4

_ 5:47 pm, Christmas Eve Night _

For 33 minutes, Barry ran laps from Central City, around Star City, and further east to loop around Coast City, before heading back to Central City to start all over again as he steadily pushed and shoved the terrible memory further down inside of himself until he could no longer feel the wicked teeth of anguish shredding his heart into pieces. Barry allowed the speed force to have free reign and rejoiced in the symbiotic relationship they shared. He ran blindly, without stopping, and the speed force guided his steps with intuitive precision. This was true freedom to Barry. This was what it felt like when he was with Len, wrapped in his arms, and impaled on his cock. He felt the same thing when he ran for pleasure, because it was the only two times in his life he felt truly free. He couldn’t lose Len. He wouldn’t lose him. Barry would do whatever it takes to keep that future from happening.

When Barry finally ran up to the private entrance of their bedroom at the compound, Len was right there, leaning against the doorjamb waiting on him. Barry pulled the cowl of his suit back and hesitantly stepped out of the shadows and approached his lover. “You got back first. Surprise! You win,” Barry joked lamely.

Len’s arms were folded across his chest and he didn’t crack a smile. “Tell me everything, Barry. Where did you go when you disappeared? What did you see? Something has changed, and I need to know what so I can adjust my plans accordingly.”

Barry flinched as Len cracked the whip of truth with his words. He pushed past Len and dragged his feet over to their bed to collapse across it. “Do we have to talk about this right now? We only have less than 30 minutes to get changed and arrive at Joe’s house to celebrate Christmas. What could possibly be more pressing than that?” Barry asked, his voice muffled by the plush, gray comforter on their bed.

Barry heard Len come inside and close the door behind him before beeping noises told Barry that Len was setting the alarm system. Len’s voice steadily got closer to the bed as he replied, “Drinking egg nog with your family is not the end of the world, Scarlet.” Len’s voice was long-suffering and drawled for emphasis.

Len reached down and his firm hands gripped Barry and forced him to roll to his back. Barry stared up at the face of the man that consumed him for the last almost five months, and forced himself to tease, “You say that now, Len, but you’ve never seen Joe drunk on Grandma Millie’s egg nog before. It’s not a pretty sight.”

Len methodically began to unbutton and strip off his navy suit. Barry had to admit that his disguise as Leonard Coldiron was working. Outside their circle of friends and family, no one else recognized the dashing, intelligent man for the criminal, Leonard Snart, but to Barry, he was always just Len.

Len unfastened the cuff links at his wrist and replied seriously, “You can’t hide from me, Barry. Tell me what happened.”

Barry stared up at his strong, powerful lover and once again experienced the sharp, overwhelming feeling of loss like he had felt when he watched Savitar kill Len less than an hour ago. How could he explain that to Len? How could he tell him that Len died in five months by Savitar’s hand? He couldn’t. Instead, he had to give Len just enough of the truth that Len would believe him, but not enough to give away what his fate could be.

Barry’s smile melted from his face and he let Len see the fear and anguish shining in his eyes. “I went to the future, Len. Five months down the road. I’ve never done that before, and it’s got me more than a little spooked. It’s nothing I can’t handle. I promise.”

Len slid out of his shoes and let his crisp white dress shirt slide down his arms before tossing it on a nearby chair. He was bare-chested, wearing only his slacks and navy socks, when he crawled up the bed to cover Barry with his own body. Barry’s hands immediately circled Len’s waist and began to touch and stroke as much flesh as he could reach. Len leaned in and kissed Barry slowly while their bodies began to shift and move against each other in a familiar rhythm.

“You’re not lying, but you’re also not telling me everything. I’m going to trust that you have a very good reason for keeping me in the dark about something. Maybe that’s something we can do for each other. Hmm?” Len asked as he sucked deep, red marks down the column of Barry’s throat.

Barry moaned and writhed against Len’s body, desperately wishing he had changed out of his Flash suit first. There was nothing more uncomfortable that sporting wood while wearing skin-tight latex polymer. Since Len had come into his life, Barry had found that out with increasing frequency. He didn’t want anything to separate the feel of Len’s flesh against his, but Barry settled for the delicious friction of both their cocks sliding against each other through the material of their clothing. “If you’re trying to say that this justifies keeping something about Caitlin from me, then…I guess you’re right. I’m just going to have to trust you that she will tell me when she’s ready. As for you, you’ll just have to trust what I’m not telling you is for the best right now. Can you live with that?”

Len’s hands tangled in Barry’s own and raised them over his head to pin them to mattress. Len dipped down to steal a leisurely kiss from Barry’s lips and breathed, “For now. But I fully expect you to inform me the moment it becomes necessary, okay? Don’t wait until it too late for me help you, Scarlet. Promise me.”

Barry rolled his pelvis against Len’s solid weight, his body on fire with the need to feel him sliding inside him. “I promise,” Barry gasped out as he whined with the effort to pull Len down for a kiss.

Len chuckled and pulled back just far enough to whisper, “Deal. Now, how about we use what little time we have left before the party to make a complete mess of your suit? I believe I owe Cisco one for calling me, and I quote, a ‘ _psicótico asesinato hijo bastardo de una cabra.’_ That really hurt my feelings, so I think he deserves a few mystery stains to clean, don’t you?”

Barry laughed for the first time all day and it made him feel lighter when Len smiled back with a lascivious eyebrow wiggle. “Man, I was hoping you didn’t catch that,” Barry confessed with a rueful chuckle. He had to agree that Cisco deserved it if he and Len made a mess. Cisco had been a massive tool lately. “You actually think you can make me come with the suit still on? I’m just warning you now, there’s no easy access to my junk unless you take the whole thing off. I really need to talk to Cisco about that. It makes taking a piss quite the chore when I’m on the run.”

Len released Barry’s hands and worked his way up until he was straddling Barry’s thighs. With slow, deliberate movements, Len unbuckled his belt, popped the button on his slacks, and lowered the zipper. Barry watched with increasing fascination as Len tugged his pants past his narrow hips before gripping the black elastic of his boxer briefs and pulling them down to join his slacks. Barry’s mouth flooded with saliva in a Pavlovian response at seeing Len’s big, hard cock swaying like a divining rod above Barry’s own restrained erection. Len reached down to palm his swollen length and slowly milked his cock until a large, clear drop of fluid spilled over from the tip. Len swiped his palm through it and used the lubrication to stroke himself firmly from root to covered crown.

“Oh, I know I can make you come without removing the suit, Scarlet. But first, you’re going to make me come all over your stomach,” Len explained with lazily precise instructions. “Take me in your hands, babe, and work your magic.”

Len didn’t have to tell Barry twice. Barry licked a wet stripe across his palm and reached for Len’s thick shaft with a sure grip. Len hissed between his teeth and thrust through Barry’s slippery grip with a curse. Len braced his hands on each side of Barry’s shoulders and brought their mouths within breaths of each other. “We don’t have long before we have to leave, Scarlet. You better make it fast.” He finished by sinking into Barry’s lips for a bold, possessive kiss.

Barry met Len’s advance with one of his own and set about driving Len to the brink. He moved his fist boldly up and down Len’s swollen cock while his other hand reached lower to cup and tug at Len’s sack. Their mouths licked and nipped as Len grunted with each thrust through Barry’s busy fingers. Barry used the slippery foreskin to his advantage and rolled it up and down over the sensitive frenulum until Len broke away to moan and rest his forehead against Barry’s shoulder. Barry smiled with pure, masculine satisfaction at bringing Len to the brink so quickly. Usually, it was Len that broke Barry down each time, but now, Barry was the one in control.

“God, Len,” Barry panted as his hips moved restless against Len’s body. “Do you even realize how fucking hot you are? All you have to do is look at me, and I get hard instantly for you. I love it when you get all primal and possessive with me. When you hold me down as you fuck me deep. You make me so fucking crazy for you, Len,” Barry crooned as his hands slid up and down Len’s iron-hard length. Barry could tell that Len was already close, because he was oozing so much precome that Barry’s hand was gliding up and down without catching.

“ _Fuck!_ ” Len cursed harshly in Barry’s ear. “You’re playing dirty now, Scarlet. Keep it up and I’m gonna come all over your pretty suit.”

Barry hummed in anticipation and ramped up his hand's speed until Len grunted and jerked against him. “I want you to, Len. Mark me, come on me, let me bring you over with my hands.”

Len’s arms shook where he held himself up from crushing Barry, but his hips were snapping uncontrollably through Barry’s slippery grip. “That’s it, Scarlet,” Len growled as Barry’s hand began to vibrate against the swollen and leaking crown. “Jesus, baby, you’re gonna make me come,” he confessed, his voice ragged with desire.

Barry felt confidence and pride swell inside of him as he watched Len’s beautiful, powerful body come undone above him. Barry vibrated his hand faster, and Len seized above him as he came in great, jerking eruptions across the fibers of Barry’s suit. Len’s fists were balled in the fabric of the coverlet, and his body shook and tremored above Barry’s as he rode the crest of his climax through Barry’s slippery, firm grip. “Oh, fuck,” Len moaned against Barry’s neck. His chest was dotted with beads of sweat and his pulse was racing against Barry’s lips. “God damn, that was intense, Scarlet. But now, it’s your turn.”

Barry moaned a complaint when Len straightened back up to balance on his knees above Barry’s thighs. Len’s pale blue irises were partially hidden by heavy lids as Len slowly milked his cock of every bit of his come before swiping that same palm through the splashes decorating Barry’s abs. Barry sucked in a shocked breath when Len used his own come as a lubricant to rub up and down Barry’s steel hard shaft that was creating an obvious bulge in his skintight suit.

“Len! Fuck!” Barry gasped, his fingers digging into Len’s corded thighs as he strained his hips up into Len’s firm strokes. “You cheated by making me get you off first so I would be ready to blow.”

Len’s laughter was low and full of evil satisfaction. “I never promised to play fair, Barry.” His other hand cupped and rolled against Barry’s sack as his other hand ignited a fire in deep in Barry’s core. “But believe me, I don’t have to cheat to make you come when I want to.”

Len pressed and rubbed with the flat of thumb right where Barry’s cockhead was most sensitive. Barry’s lungs held on to his breath and starbursts flashed behind his closed eyes as he fractured into devastating contractions of agonizing bliss that had him erupting all over the inside of his suit. Barry could hear Len purring with pride over the racing pulse pounding in his ears, and he couldn’t help but laugh as the pressure valve of the day finally released.

“Oh, my God,” Barry part moaned/part laughed. “Cisco is going to kill me, Len. Like seriously, _kill me_ kill me.”

Len leaned down to steal a long kiss before he broke off to climb backward off Barry’s body. “Serves the little shit right. He wouldn’t be running his mouth like that if he knew I spoke Spanish fluently. Just be glad that he’s yours and Caitlin’s friend, Scarlet. Otherwise, I would have to teach him some manners.”

Barry accepted Len’s outstretched hand and easily regained his footing next to the bed. Barry grimaced down at his thoroughly despoiled superhero costume and gingerly began to peel it off his body. Len joined him in finishing his own disrobing and said, “I think we have just enough time for a quick shower before we have to leave for Joe’s house. I’ll call Jack and have him load the car with the gifts and food.”

Barry blinked in shock and accepted Len’s brief kiss before he turned to stroll toward the bathroom. Len stopped his progress and looked back at Barry with a raised eyebrow. “You coming, Scarlet? We wouldn’t want to be late for the celebrations, would we?”

Barry was out of his suit, across the room, snatching Len, and racing them to the shower before he could even finish speaking. Len’s fingers bit deep into Barry’s arms for balance as they came to a stop under the multiple showerheads in the huge tiled shower. “No,” Barry laughed as he began to lather Len’s body with soap. “We wouldn’t want to be late. That would be bad manners.”

Len pulled Barry closer and kissed him hard until Barry’s teeth cut his lip. “No one’s ever accused me of having good manners, Scarlet. I can fuck you right now against that wall over there and have us both coming again in less than fifteen minutes. What do you say? Is fifteen minutes late going to be acceptable to the Wests?”

Barry’s cock was already hard and sliding through the soapy trails of Len’s abs. “Yeah, they won’t even notice. We can fuck in less than that time, I bet.”

Len’s soapy fingers teased and thrust inside Barry’s ass without preamble and he growled, “Grab onto to some tile, baby. I got work to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Just remember, the day is not done for Barry and Len! There's still Christmas Eve at Joe's tonight, and it's going to be...interesting. Hope you're enjoying the tale so far, friends! All my love your way!**


	5. Chapter 5

_ 7:36 pm, Christmas Eve Night _

Okay, so Barry and Len were a full hour late, but no one seemed to care. Barry didn’t know if it was the possessed Christmas spirit of a drunken H.R., the palpable tension between Caitlin and Cisco, or the besotted puppy dog eyes going on between Joe and District Attorney Cecile Horton, but in any case, no one even gave them a second look. Except for Iris. Wally watched the unfolding drama from his seat on the couch, and even ate popcorn, while unabashedly watching Iris approach Barry and Len.

Barry’s stomach dropped to his feet as Iris came to a stop directly in front of them, impeding their entrance into the living room. She looked beautiful in her dress of tight mauve material that highlighted all her curves to perfect affect. Her hair was sleek and shiny, and one side was pulled back in a glittering barrette. Barry’s mouth went dry as Iris narrowed her eyes while she looked Len up and down with thorough, all-seeing intensity.

Len, apparently never one to allow an opportunity for dramatics to pass, flashed Iris a wide, sarcastic smile and said with a slow, pronounced drawl, “Ho, ho, _ho_ , Iris. It’s a rare pleasure to see you again.”

Barry flinched when Iris drew in a slow, deep breath through flared nostrils. That was not a good sign. Time for evasive maneuvers! Barry stepped directly between the two of them and pulled Iris in for a tight, enthusiastic hug. “Merry Christmas, Shorty! I brought your gift, but you can wait to open it until later.” Barry continued to hug her until her body finally relaxed into his embrace and returned his offer of affection.

“Merry Christmas, Care Bare,” she replied with reluctant cheer. “Your gift is under the tree.” Her gaze looked past Barry and pinned Len to the spot as she added, “You got your gift last Christmas, Snart. I know you stole that reindeer mug you was drinking out of when you broke in here, so you can consider that your gift. That was part of a full set, you asshole.”

Len didn’t even bother trying to deny it. “Ah, yes, the delightful reindeer mug. I still drink my coffee from it at least three times a week. Thank you, Iris. Your generosity is humbling.”

Iris rolled her eyes dramatically, as only Iris could, and tossed her hair as she turned her back on him. “Food is on the table, drinks are in the kitchen. Don’t put your feet on the furniture, and clean up after yourself. We aren’t your maids and this isn’t your house, Leonard. I expect you to keep your sticky fingers to yourself this time.” And she sauntered away to the theme song of Wally’s thoroughly amused laughter and shouts of “Yo, that shit was ice cold right there! I thought _you_ was the Captain of that shit, Snart! You’re not going to let her get away with that are you, man?” Wally egged Barry’s villainous boyfriend on.

Len hung up their coats on the hooks and smirked at Wally as he approached Barry from behind. “I choose my battles carefully, young Padiwan,” Len addressed the youngest member of their team as he glided around Barry like a sensuous snake until he was right there to fill up Barry’s vision. Their gazes collided and Barry immediately fell headlong into a slow, heated kiss with Len. It lasted for only a few heartbeats, but it was enough to make Barry cock plump against his leg. Len paused to wipe the moisture off Barry’s bottom lip with his thumb before he turned to Wally and said smoothly, “You see, Wally. It doesn’t matter if I lose a thousand battles with Iris, because I have already won the war.”  Len patted Wally hard on the shoulder as he strolled past him on his way toward the alcohol-infused egg nog.

Barry and Wally stared at each other for agonizing, awkward moments before Barry shrugged sheepishly and said, “He’s not wrong. But for what it’s worth, I still love her and I always will. She’s the sister of my heart, if not by blood, and I will always be there to protect her, Wally. I swear that to you.”

Wally shrugged, visibly embarrassed by the sincerity in Barry’s voice. “Nah, don’t worry about it, man. She’ll get over her shit and things will go back to normal. Y’all are family, and that don’t ever change. We’re all good, man.”

Barry grinned and reached over the couch to give him an awkward bro hug. “Merry Christmas, Kid Flash. You’re going to love your present.”

He left Wally feeling much better about the tone of the evening. So far, Iris hadn’t been _too_ horrible, Wally was being remarkably cool about all of it, and Len was diving straight into the deep end by cornering Joe for a serious discussion. Neither of them looked angry with the other, so Barry breathed a sigh of relief and joined Caitlin who was standing directly in front of the roaring fireplace. She held her hands behind her and practically stood inside the grate to get close enough to the flames that Barry genuinely worried about her clothing catching on fire.

“Uh, Caity? Maybe you should move this way some. You’re going to burn yourself if you stumble,” Barry cautioned her. He held his hand out toward her in hopes that she would take it so he could draw her away from the crackling flames.

Caitlin’s familiar, lovely face brightened and her lips turned up in a genuine smile. A happy laugh bubbled up from her throat and she placed her cool hand in Barry’s warm one. She allowed Barry to pull her in for a warm hug, and she chuckled into his shoulder as she replied, “Oh, Barry. That’s so sweet of you to be worried about me, but it’s totally unnecessary. I can’t be burned by fire anymore. It still feels nice against my skin, though.”

Barry held his friend at arm’s length and looked Caitlin up and down carefully. He catalogued the changes in his friend and found them to be good ones. There was confidence in her posture now, and she projected a different aura now that Barry recognized. It was the same changes he had felt coming over himself during those four days with Len outside of time, and he instinctively knew that Caitlin was finally waking up for the first time. Barry smiled at her with happiness and affection radiating from his very pores. “That’s awesome, Cait! We’ll have to test out your ice on Supergirl’s heat vision someday.” His smile dimmed and he lowered his voice to ask, “Seriously, Caitlin. Is everything okay? Is there anything I can do to help?”

Caitlin snaked her arm around Barry’s waist and pulled him in for a side hug. “Actually, Barry, I feel better about myself right now than I have in my entire life. The past three weeks have been an eye-opening experience for me, to say the least. I promise, I will sit down and tell you everything as soon as I can. There’s too much to explain right now, okay?”

Barry nodded his understanding and reaffirmed by saying, “I get it, Cait. No pressure. I just want you to know I’m here for you. Whatever you need, okay?”

Before she could reply, Joe and H.R. came sneaking over with a large box. “It’s time. Cecile will be on the phone with her daughter for a while, so let’s give Wally his gift,” Joe whispered loudly.

Like magnets being drawn to its polar opposite, everyone began to circle around Wally. Barry, Caitlin, Len, Joe, H.R., Cisco, and Iris all watched eagerly as Joe presented his son with the large, colorfully-wrapped box. “This is from all of us to you. Merry Christmas, son.”

Wally, looking excited and nervous, eased the lid off the box before his face split into a wide grin. “Are you serious?!” he asked, not really believing they were finally going to let him join the team.

“Yeah, man,” Barry assured him. “It’s time. You’re ready, Wally. Or should I say, ‘Kid Flash’?”

Wally glanced inside the box at his yellow Kid Flash suit and laughed, “Are we really calling me that? Seriously?”

Everyone chuckled along with them and Cisco called out, “Yeah, we are calling you that, so get used to it. It will be either mine or Caitlin’s voice in your ear from now on, so you better learn to trust us when we feed you information. Got it?”

Wally clapped hands with Cisco and bumped shoulders while everyone else took turns congratulating him and slapping him on the back. Their merriment was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell.

Barry looked around the room and couldn’t see anyone missing that should be there, and curiously approached the front door to open it. Barry was pleasantly surprised to see Julian Albert standing there dressed in a nice suit with a boutonniere of flowers pinned at his chest. Unfortunately, he was also being followed closely by Lisa Snart who dodged past him to enter the house. She strolled right past Barry as if she had been there a hundred times while Julien diverted his attention to give him an early Christmas gift.

“This is for you, Barry,” Julien said, nerves making his British accent even more clipped than usual. “I spoke to Captain Singh, and he hadn’t put through your resignation paperwork yet, so, well, if you’d, uh, like your old lab back, or you’d like to share it again…” he trailed off awkwardly.

Barry held the envelope up and considered it for a brief moment, but he felt like his life was moving in a different direction now. He smiled at Julien and patted him on the back as he ushered him inside. “That’s really awesome, Julien. Thank you, I mean, really thank you for this, but I think I’m going to focus on running S.T.A.R. Labs for a while. We have cooler equipment and less paperwork there. I hope you stay with CCPD, though, Julien. They will need an experienced forensic scientist like you to help them out.”

Julien nodded sagely and Barry handed him off to H.R. as swiftly as possible in order to contain the impending disaster gearing up behind him. Iris’s voice cut through the tense silence and demanded, “What’s she doing here?”

Lisa looked ready to give out gifts to all the naughty little boys since she was dressed in a skin-tight red sweater with white, feathered trim, black leather mini skirt, and knee-high black patent leather boots with spiked heels. Her lips were luscious and red and shiny like a candy apple, and festive candy canes hung from her ears. Lisa winked saucily at Iris and sauntered over to give her big brother a kiss on the cheek. “I’m sure my invitation must have gotten lost in the mail. After all, I always spend Christmas Eve with my big brother.”

Joe recovered quickly, and in the spirit of being a good host, took Lisa’s dripping umbrella and black leather jacket. “The more the merrier, I guess,” Joe quipped with a rueful shake of his head. “There’s plenty of food and egg nog. Help yourself.”

Barry shot a worried look at Caitlin, but instead of finding anger, he saw a twinkling appreciation in her dark blue gaze as she followed Lisa’s movements with her eyes. Barry turned next to look at Cisco and saw a mixture of anger and confusion on his face. Len however, was never one to be shocked silent for long.

“Lisa, my dear, I thought we talked about this. Things are still a little…iffy with Barry’s family right now, and your presence will not help matters any,” Len explained with long-suffering patience.

Lisa shrugged and replied flippantly, “It’s Christmas, Lenny. It’s the time of forgiveness and family togetherness,” she explained saucily. She accepted a mug of egg nog from Joe and gifted him with a seductive grin. “Since I’m your family and you are now Barry’s family, then that means I’m part of this family now, too.”

Cisco, apparently done being ignored, stepped up to Lisa and gripped her under her arm and hissed, “Can I talk to you for a minute, Lisa? Alone?”

Lisa’s blood red lips lifted with a feline smile and she leaned in to kiss him firmly on the lips. “Of course, Cisco darling. I’ve missed you these past three weeks, but I was a bit busy keeping our third entertained. Caity? Come with us, and we’ll all three have a nice little chat!”

Caitlin’s eyes widened with apprehension and Cisco’s face darkened into a scowl as he snarled, “You’ve been with Caitlin the whole time? What happened, Lisa? What did you do?”

Barry watched the unfolding drama with fascinated horror as Caitlin slowly closed the distance between the three of them. Her voice was lowered for discretion when she hissed, “Lisa, please. Not now. We’re guests here, and it’s Christmas Eve. Can’t we do this at a later time?”

Cisco’s fiery chocolate eyes burned holes through Caitlin as he snapped, “No, we’ll do it now. I’m sure we won’t be missed for a few minutes.”  He stepped back and waved both women in front of him and toward the stairs with a sweep of his hand. “Barry, do you mind if we borrow your old room upstairs to have our chat?”

Barry snapped out of his trance when Len sidled up next to him and pulled him into his side. He whispered in Barry’s ear, “Everything will be just fine, Scarlet. Caitlin has come a long way in the past three weeks, and Lisa and Cisco will be perfectly safe around her now.”

Barry’s fingers twitched against Len’s hip, and he murmured back to his lover, “It’s not Caitlin I’m worried about, Len. It’s your sister that makes me nervous.” But he nodded his head toward the steps and answered Cisco, “Yeah, sure. Just, uh, try not to destroy Joe’s house, okay?”

Lisa clapped her hands, her sparkling red nail polish glittering from her fingertips. “Oh, goody! I do hope there is still a bed in your old room, Barry. Tell me, is it king-sized? We’re sleeping for three now, so we’ll need the extra space,” she explained loudly as Cisco resolutely pushed her up the stairs with a reluctant Caitlin, blushing furiously, following slowly behind them.

Before Barry could turn on Len with his questions, Iris announced, “That’s it. I am officially done with this night.” She slid her long wool coat over her arms and approached her father for a warm hug. “I love you, Daddy. Merry Christmas.”

“Where are you headed off to, baby? The evening has just started!” Joe complained as Cecile ducked under his arm to second his protests.

Iris looked back at Barry and Len before her gaze trailed up the empty steps. “No, I think it’s just about done for me. I’m heading over to my new editor’s house. He’s hosting a party for all of us from the office at his place, and I think I’d like a change of scenery.”

Iris made her rounds, steering clear of Len, and finished by giving Barry another hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Love you, Bare. Merry Christmas.”

Barry returned her kiss with one of his own and answered warmly, “Love you, too, Shorty. Go have some fun. You deserve it.”

As Iris left the house, the sound of singing emanated from the front steps. She stepped past the carolers with a warm wish for happy holidays and disappeared into the night. H.R., overcome with the season’s joy and too much of Grandma Millie’s egg nog, stood in front of the door to listen to the singers with rapture on his face.

“They’re singing carols in the rain, everyone! Now that is some Christmas dedication!” he announced happily as he, Julien, Joe, and Wally stood in the door to watch.

Barry’s window of opportunity to talk to Len private was interrupted yet again by the approach of D.A. Cecile Horton. She gave Barry a warm smile and stuck her hand out to Len. “Mr. Coldiron, I don’t believe we’ve been officially introduced. I’m Cecile Horton.”

Len shook her hand with a twinkle of devilry in his eyes. “I’m quite familiar with your work, Cecile. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person at last. How is business in the D.A.’s office these days?”

Cecile smiled with a shake of her head and replied lightly, “You have no idea. After that whole alien invasion situation, all the crazies have come out of the woodwork. I have a feeling the next year is going to be a very busy one for the justice system.”

Len and Barry shared a knowing smile and he replied, “I have no doubt about it, my dear. Good thing Central City has The Flash to help with that.”

Cecile snorted in a decidedly unladylike manner and sipped her mug of egg nog before replying sarcastically, “Yeah, nothing like a metahuman vigilante to make things even messier for the courts. I swear, he’s an amazing asset for the police, but trying to convict someone who has been apprehended by him is a pure nightmare. Evidence gets tossed, criminals get released back into society, and the judges have no choice but to declare a mistrial. Don’t get me wrong, Mr. Coldiron. I love me some Flash, but he makes my job very difficult when he decides to offer his help to the police.”

Len’s ice blue eyes twinkled with merriment as he stared long and hard at Barry. “I know just what you mean, Cecile. Perhaps it would be best if our local superhero stuck to fighting off aliens and out of control metahumans instead of worrying about us mere mortals.” He turned back to face the tipsy D.A. and continued, “Perhaps you might let me take you to lunch sometime next week and we can discuss what Motorcar Industries can do to help our local police. I have some wonderful ideas that I would like to share with you and Police Captain Singh.”

Cecile’s face lit up with pleasure and Barry groaned silently. Len had to be crazy to test the facial transmogrification device up close and personal with the two people who had orchestrated his imprisonment on several different occasions as Leonard Snart, aka Captain Cold. She reached out to squeeze Len’s arm and replied merrily, “That sounds like a wonderful idea, Mr. Coldiron! I’ll set it up with Capt. Singh and contact your office with the details. It was a pleasure to finally meet you. You and Barry make a lovely couple.”

Len pulled Barry in even closer to his side and offered Joe’s girlfriend a wide grin. “Thank you, Cecile. And please, call me Len. All my closest friends do.”

Cecile laughed brightly and agreed before making her way back over to Joe to enjoy the rest of the show. Barry shook his head at Len and murmured, “You have got a set of balls on you the size of boulders, Len. What the hell are you thinking? You can’t just ‘do lunch’ with the district attorney and police captain!”

Len leaned in to place a soft, tender kiss on Barry’s lips. “I’m thinking of our future, Barry. I have so very many plans for our city, and for us. Relax. No one will ever know that the millionaire businessman Len Coldiron is the same man as Captain Cold. Don’t worry about it, Scarlet. I’ve got this handled.”

Barry sighed heavily and looked back toward the door where a group of neighbors were still singing in the rain. He jerked in shock as he watched the icy raindrops slowly turn into snow until fat, white flakes began to drift down from the sky to turn their Christmas into a white one. “Caitlin,” Barry breathed as he and Len made their way over to the window to watch the heavy snowflakes fall to the ground and quickly begin to accumulate. The scenery was gorgeous as they looked out the window to see Christmas lights up and down the street softly glowing in the dark while thick snow began  to blanket the landscape.

“It’s snowing! It’s a Christmas miracle!” H.R. called out as they thanked the carolers profusely for their singing.

Wally and Joe shared a knowing look and both of them glanced up the stairs where Caitlin, Cisco, and Lisa were still holed up together. “Yeah, a real Christmas miracle,” Joe muttered to Wally who laughed softly while Cecile looked on with confusion. Julien's eyes were full of speculation as he, too, looked up the stairs where Caitlin had disappeared.

Barry turned back to Len and slipped into his arms for a leisurely hug. He placed his lips next to Len’s ear and breathed, “Thank you for an amazing Christmas, Len.”

Len pulled back and kissed Barry with slow, thorough care before he pulled back to reply, “It’s not over yet, Scarlet. You still haven’t opened your gift from me.”

Barry’s eyes lit up with excitement. “You got me a gift? Len, you’ve already given me so much. You didn’t have to get me anything!”

Len pulled Barry into his chest and squeezed him until he grunted in complaint. “I haven’t wrapped it yet, but then again, I don’t think I could find enough paper to do it justice. We’ll have to leave here if you want to open it, though.”

Barry’s eyes twinkled and he replied, “I can’t wait."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Christmas Eve still isn't quite over yet for Barry and Len! I hope you guys are having fun with this story. Quick question: would you rather see Len give Barry his gift, or would you rather know what's going on inside that bedroom between Lisa, Cisco, and Caitlin? I could go either way for the next chapter!**
> 
> Thank you again for all your encouragement, support, and kind words, friends!


	6. LEN'S POV: MERRY CHRISTMAS, SCARLET

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Um, I know we usually get sexy times with Len, but it didn't quite turn out that way. I hope you enjoy this unusual chapter. As usual, Len proved very tricky to get a hold of, and I swear to you, I had no idea what he was giving Barry until I actually began to write the chapter. His choice completely threw me for a loop, I tell you. I had to do actual research, people! It was exhausting!**

_ 9:52 pm, Christmas Eve Night _

Len drove carefully through the snow covered street away from Joe’s house and breathed a sigh of relief. It had taken a lot longer to get out of there than Len had initially allotted within his game plan. It had been his intention for him and Barry to arrive no later than 7 pm, mix and mingle for precisely an hour and a half, and then slip out when everyone else was thoroughly knackered on egg nog. Alas, even Len’s most well-laid plans were subject to the vagaries of fate…and Lisa. Len really should have seen this coming from a mile away, but for some reason, he had deluded himself into believing that she would actually listen to him for once.

He had tried to explain to Lisa why it would be bad timing on her part to just show up at Joe’s house, but as usual, Lisa had her own agenda in mind.  Her untimely appearance had been the catalyst for completely upsetting his timetable, because Barry had refused to leave until the three of them had reappeared from up the stairs relatively unscathed. When the three of them had finally reappeared, Caitlin had left straightaway, Cisco had headed directly for the bottle of rum, and Lisa had practically licked her paws as she strolled across the room to chat with the fake Wells and the reformed Alchemy. By this point in the evening, Joe was getting sentimental and weepy, Cecile was looking disappointed about her odds of getting laid, Wally had fallen asleep an hour past, and Len’s tolerance for the remainder of the party-goers had long since expired. He had big plans for his Scarlet that night, and the timeline for giving his gift to Barry had to be just right.

He knew he had been less than gracious when he finally ushered Barry out the door of Joe’s house, but Barry’s gift was at their own home, not his boyhood one. Len had loaded Barry into the SUV, placed unopened packages in the trunk, and made haste to pull out of the driveway before anything else could happen to derail his plans. Even Caitlin’s unexpected gift of snow was slowing them down, and Len grit his teeth against a curse as he engaged the 4-wheel drive to power through the slushy mixture piled on the road.

“So, I take it we’re in a hurry, then?” Barry asked drily as he checked the fastener on his seatbelt. “You didn’t tell me we were on a schedule, Len.”

Len hated when Barry got pissy. It set his teeth on edge every single time. “I didn’t think I would have to tell you, Scarlet. I wanted it to be a surprise.”

Barry grew silent for a long moment before he replied softly, “Oh.” He glanced out the window and replied, “Why do I have a feeling that your gift is going to make mine for you look terrible?”

Len glanced over at him and his heart thudded hard like it did every single fucking time he looked at Barry. It was the craziest thing. “Anything you got for me, I will love it. The, uh, gift I got for you is on a very tight schedule. I don’t want you to miss any available opportunities in the short time we’ve got.” Len’s lips curled up with a secretive smile and added, “That’s all I’m going to say. The rest of it is a surprise.”

Barry was looking curious and excited once more, and that made Len’s pulse race with anticipation. Barry’s leg began to blur as he offered, “You know, if you leave the car here, I can have us home in less than thirty seconds.”

Len laughed, full and loud, and the sun began to shine inside of him again. “That’s not necessary, Scarlet. Besides, I’d rather not vomit all over my shoes while I’m trying to pull off your surprise. Not exactly the tone I was going for here.”

Barry laughed softly and reached across the vehicle to slide his palm up Len’s leg. He sucked in a surprised breath, and his cock immediately began to swell against his zipper. It was always like that with Barry. All it took was one look, one touch, or one word from him to set Len’s body on fire. It never ceased to amaze him how badly he still wanted the man sitting next to him. Even when his cock was buried deep inside his Scarlet’s body, he was already thinking about when he could do it again the next time.

The drive went by quickly after they left behind Joe’s neighborhood and the “freak” snow storm that had blanketed the entire subdivision under seven inches of snow. The old Santini compound was located on the very fringes of Central City, so it took almost another twenty minutes for them to reach the front gates. One of Len’s men waved the vehicle through, and Len continued to drive down the long, twisting driveway toward the main house. However, once they reached there, he passed it by and continued to drive deeper into the compound until they pulled up in front of a large, metal building.

“What are we doing here?” Barry asked, curiosity lacing his voice. “I thought these outbuildings were still under construction?”

Len put the SUV in park and opened the door to exit the vehicle. Barry came around from his side, and they approached the locked door. Len took his keys from his pocket and carefully unlocked the deadbolt and knob and allowed Barry to enter the building first before he answered, “They are still under construction, but this one didn’t need much. This is going to be the airplane hangar, so the only thing left to do is to have the runway poured and paved. This was the best option for storing your Christmas present.”

Barry glanced over his shoulder at Len as they walked down a narrow hallway and said, “Oh, my God, please tell me you didn’t buy me a plane.”

Len snorted and replied drily, “No, Scarlet, but I did get you a pilot.”

They approached another door that opened up into a small office. Len was following closely behind Barry, so when his Scarlet came to a dead halt, Len ran into his back with a muffled curse.

A familiar voice called out, “’Bout time you showed up, Lenny. You was supposed to be here an hour ago, you jackass.”

Len peeked around Barry’s frozen posture and replied drily, “The joys of family at Christmas time, my old friend. Are we ready to depart?”

Barry finally spoke up and his tone was confused when he said, “You got me Mick Rory for Christmas? No offense to either of you, but I think I would have just preferred a gift card to Jitters.”

Mick dropped his feet to the ground from where they had been propped on an old metal desk and rose to his feet. “You’re funny, Red. Real funny. Let’s saddle up, kids. Time waits for no man.”

Barry turned to Len with questions in his gorgeous hazel eyes. “Len, I don’t understand. What’s Mick doing here? Do you have to leave with the Legends again?”

Len couldn’t resist touching his Scarlet for another minute, so he pulled Barry into his arms and smiled softly. “No, Scarlet. I told you I would never willingly leave you again, and I meant that. My old friend Mick is here because I asked him to help me give you your gift.” He took Barry by the hand and hauled him through the office door and into the large, open space that would one day house Len’s private jet.

Barry gasped and Len couldn’t hold back the happy grin that broke out over his face. Barry exclaimed, “Len, what is the jump ship from the _Waverider_ doing here? Do we have a mission? Does someone need our help?”

Mick strolled by and clapped Barry on the shoulder hard enough to send him stumbling. “No, kid. Nothing like that. Just your boyfriend being his usual dramatic self is all. Lenny, fill the kid in and get your asses in gear. I have to have the ship back by 08:00 hours tomorrow morning before the crew gets antsy and starts asking uncomfortable questions.”

Len couldn’t help but enjoy Barry’s confused look, but he took mercy on him and explained, “Scarlet, Mick is here to help me give you your Christmas present. We can use the jump ship to travel anywhere in time you want to go with one exception.”

Barry looked worried instead of happy, and that would never do. Barry ran a hand through his hair and said, “Len, it’s dangerous to travel through time. Believe me, I know that better than anyone.”

Len sighed and reached out to smooth Barry’s ruffled hair. “Only if you mess with the timeline, Scarlet. We’re not going to do that. That’s part of the exception. We won’t be going anywhere and anytime where you or your family and friends have been, so get creative. Think of all the exciting things throughout history that you wished you had experienced firsthand, and that’s where we will go.”

Barry’s face slowly lit up as the possibilities began to swirl through his head. “You mean we could go to Woodstock in 1969? Or visit the World’s Fair in New York in 1939?”

Len laughed, vastly relieved that Barry finally understood the spirit of his gift. “Exactly, Scarlet. Mick will be our pilot, and Gideon will help us acclimate to the dress code and culture of the era once we get there. We can go as many places as you’d like to go, but we have to be back here no later than 7:30 am our time so Mick can get back to the _Waverider_. They think he’s spending the holiday with Lisa since her big brother apparently died as a tragic hero.”

Barry’s expression melted into dismay. “Oh, my God. Len, I got you a wallet. You’re giving me history. I think I need to go shopping again.”

Len pulled Barry in for a hard, teeth-clacking kiss. “I’m sure I’ll love it. Come on, Scarlet. Let’s go get lost in time with each other.”

Len grabbed Barry’s hand and they jogged for the jump ship where they buckled in to the seats while Mick pressed buttons and conferred with Gideon. “Okay, Red,” Mick called out with gruff cheer. “Where we headed to first?”

 

********************************

 

Len had never had so much fun in his life as he did with Barry that evening. The first place Barry chose to visit was the World’s Fair in New York in the year 1939. They strolled through the “World of Tomorrow” exhibits and ate hot, roasted peanuts from a sack as they laughed together over the exhibits featuring what the future may look like while also marveling over the futuristic car-based city by GM. Barry had his own secret chuckle over experiencing “Superman Day” at the fair, and Len had taken the opportunity to pepper Barry with questions about his friends from Earth-38, most especially about Supergirl, Kara Zor-El. Len had also enjoyed the fashion of the time. Though he wasn’t a fan of the high-waisted trousers, Len had totally dug the grey fedora, suit coat, and polished oxfords that Gideon had furnished him with. Barry had looked completely delectable in his button-down shirt, sweater vest, bow tie, and newsboy cap. It was Len’s own Christmas gift to himself to be able to watch his Scarlet come alive, laugh, and have fun. It was especially important after the day Barry had just suffered through.

Their next stop was truly inspirational for Len, and it would definitely go down in his book as one of his most cherished memories. Barry chose to travel to Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963, and Len and Barry, with help from Gideon, was able to sandwich themselves within a stone’s throw of Martin Luther King, Jr. while he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial Monument. Len’s arms had been covered in goosebumps and Barry had squeezed his hand tightly within the crush of the crowd as the iconic Civil Rights leader had called out, _“Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”_

They made several shorter stops in order for Barry to meet some of his personal heroes. They had coffee with Albert Einstein at the Institute for Advanced Study in December of 1933 in the Princeton cafeteria, they attended a meeting of the Homebrew Computer Club in 1975 where Barry had an animated conversation with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, and attended a lecture given by Nikola Tesla in St. Louis about the his theories on transmitting radio waves. Len had gotten a good chuckle at watching Barry explain to Mr. Tesla why he wanted his signature, and had only rolled his eyes when Barry had told the brilliant scientist, “Can you sign it to say ‘Merry Christmas, Cisco’ and then sign your name? He’s a huge fan of your work, and this will be the best present in the world for him. Much better than the pair of socks I already gave him.”

Since time had begun to run out, Barry decided to finish their journey on a high note by traveling to 1986 and Wembley Stadium to hear Freddie Mercury, along with the rest of Queen, sing “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Even Mick had left the jump ship for this one, having spent the bulk of the time that Len and Barry were exploring napping in the captain’s chair. It had been an electrifying performance, another amazing memory for Len to cherish, and Barry had surreptitiously recorded it on his cell phone to show Cisco and Caitlin when they returned home. By the end of the fourth song, Mick and Len had to physically pick Barry up and make him leave so they could return to their own timeline so Mick could return to the mothership.

As the jump ship glided into the hangar back on the compound, Len snapped out of a light doze as Gideon calmly explained that the timeline had remained unchanged for all their night’s destinations. Len breathed a silent sigh of relief at that news, and stretched his arms out wide. The trip back to the compound had only taken about 35 minutes, but after the day they’d had, it was no surprise that Len had drifted off almost immediately. He assumed Barry had fallen asleep, too, and he turned his head to wake up his sleepy Scarlet.

Len’s heart seized in his chest as he saw his Scarlet staring off into space as if in a trance. His big, hazel eyes were opened wide, unblinking, and within their depths, Len glimpsed abject loss on a level so deep that Len’s own eyes pricked with tears of sorrow. Barry was crying, but not like anything Len had ever seen before. This was different, because it was so fucking quiet and unending. There were no individual tears rolling gently down his whiskered cheek, because it was a fast-moving stream of liquid heartbreak that soaked his chin and was creating a dark, wet patch on his Queen concert tee shirt. Len knew, without a doubt, that Barry was reliving what had happened when he traveled to the future earlier that day. He also knew that whatever Barry had seen had been personally devastating.

Len swallowed past the ball of peanut butter in his throat and rasped, “Tell me what you’re seeing right now, Barry. Tell me who hurts you five months from now.”

Barry blinked rapidly and he jerked at the sound of Len’s voice. Immediately, Barry’s hands rose to his face to try to mop up the mess, but there was no way to erase the evidence. “Oh, this? No, Len, I’m just overwhelmed. It’s been such a stressful day, and then the crazy party, and finally the most amazing night of my life with you and…It’s just a lot to take in, you know?”

Barry summoned a smile, but all Len could see were the shadows of despair choking out Barry’s sunlight. He studied his Scarlet closely and tried to figure out Barry’s motives on keeping this knowledge to himself. He had to have seen something truly horrible for it to affect him like this. But, if Barry felt the need to keep the information to himself, then Len had to respect that. That didn’t mean that he had to accept it.

Len reached out and used his thumb to brush away the fresh water that spilled down his Scarlet’s cheeks. “I know, Scarlet. It’s been a very full day for you. How about you run back to the house, and I’ll see Mick off, okay? I’ll meet you there in about half an hour.”

Barry sighed with obvious relief and nodded his agreement just as Mick’s voice rang out to say, “Okay, kids. Fun time is over. I’m closing up shop. You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.” With a hiss of air pressure releasing, the side door slid open. Barry leaned in to give Len a quick, firm kiss before he was gone on the wings of a stiff breeze that scared the hell out of Mick Rory. “OH, SHIT!” Mick squalled as he turned to face Len. “What the fuck, Lenny? How does that not freak you out every time he does that shit?”

Len blinked to restore the moisture to his eyes as he released his chest restraint and carefully made his way to the front to sit in the adjoining chair to his friend. He offered Mick a slow smile and quipped, “Personally, I find it adorable, but to each his own.”

Mick made a rude noise and retorted, “Yeah, whatever. So, you and the kid, huh? I gotta say, Lenny, I never thought I’d see the day, but after watching you two together all night, it makes sense. Talk about your real power couple, eh?”

Len shook his head with a rueful grin and admitted, “Yes, Mick, a very powerful couple, if my plans all bear fruit. There’s just been one little hitch in my plan, and I was hoping you might help me with it for old time’s sake.”

That familiar spark of excitement flared in Mick’s eyes and he shot back, “Old time’s sake don’t pay for shit, Lenny. What’s in this job for me?”

Len considered his reply carefully. He weighed the desires of the old Mick Rory against the cravings of the new Mick Rory and still came up with same answer. With an overly dramatic sigh, Len capitulated by offering, “I will pay Cisco to build you a newer heat gun with the upgrades of your choice.”

Len could almost see the fire ignite behind his friend’s manic eyes. “I want some kind of scope or laser. Aiming with that thing is a joke. And I want it to be easier to take apart and clean. And I want a new holster. Something with a bit more…pizzazz.”

Len’s lips curled up at the corners and he stuck his hand out to seal the deal. Mick clapped his hand hard and shook once before Len said, “I need you to make one more little trip before you go back to the _Waverunner_. Surely they won’t question you too closely if you are merely 30 minutes late.”

Mick watched Len from the corner of his eye and sucked his front teeth. “I’m listening.”

Len tapped his fingertips together and said, “All I need for you to do is go back in time to two nights ago, break into S.T.A.R. Laboratories, plant a voice-activated recording device in section C-3 of the particle accelerator, and get back undetected. Simple.”

Mick considered it, nodded his head a few times, and shrugged. “Easy peasey, lemon squeezy. I’ll text you with the details when the job is complete. But I want digital thermostat control added to the gun, too.”

Len tipped his head in agreement, and both men stood to their feet and leaned in for a quick, back-slapping hug. “Merry Christmas, my old friend,” Len said with a smirk. “Thank you for your services this night.”

Mick waved him away with his big hand and grunted, “It wasn’t nothing. I owed the kid one for saving your sorry ass. You just tell him we’re even now.” Mick clapped Len on the shoulder and added, “Merry Christmas, motherfucker.”

Len shoved his hands in his coat pockets and watched as the jump ship hovered out the large, rolling door and disappeared into the night. Len pressed the button to close the doors and leisurely made the rounds of securing the building before he climbed into the SUV to head back to the house and to Barry. With a deep, regretful sigh, he fished his cell phone from his pocket and pressed the screen to dial a number.

“Merry Christmas, Boss,” Jack Conway’s voice chirped over the receiver. “What can I do you for?”

Len winced as he remembered that his trusted employee was likely in the middle of opening gifts with his wife and sick child. Still, this job was time sensitive and Jack was the only one he trusted to do it. “Merry Christmas, Jack. I hate to interrupt your holiday, but I need a job done immediately, and you’re the only one I trust to do it.”

Jack was quiet for a long moment, quiet enough that Len could hear a young male voice in the background. Finally, Jack responded, “Of course, Boss. Just give me the details and you can consider it done.”

Len pulled to a stop in front of his and Barry’s new home and turned the ignition off as he replied, “You’re a good man, Jack. Tell Caleb that Santa Claus is sending your family to Disney World for a full week over spring break.”

Jack choked and coughed before he spluttered, “Thank you, Boss. That’s perfect. Now, what do you need me to do?”

Len clicked the security system on the SUV and walked to the front door through the drizzling rain. As he turned the key in the knob, he said, “I need you steal something from the bottom level of S.T.A.R. Labs for me. I’ll send you an encrypted file with the details, but it has to be done today while everything is closed for the holiday. Send me a message when it’s done.”

“You got it, Boss. I won’t you let you down,” Jack assured him before disconnecting the call.

No sooner had the screen gone dark then it lit up again with a new text message. It was from Mick stating that the job was completed and giving intricate details about location of the device. Len opened a new app, encrypted the message, and forwarded it Jack. By the time he reached the door of his and Barry’s bedroom, exactly thirty minutes had passed. He paused long enough to clear the call and text history on his cell phone before he opened the door to locate his stubborn, gorgeous Scarlet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Okay, I know you're mad because:  
> A) no sexy times  
> B) Barry is devastated  
> C) Seriously, no sexy times
> 
> I apologize for all of that, but otherwise, I hope you enjoyed it! Unfortunately, the plot must still happen! Now, how about a little peek at what happened in that bedroom with Caitlin, Cisco, and Lisa? Hmm?**


	7. BONUS CHAPTER: ALL THAT GLITTERS ISN'T GOLD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get emotional and complicated for Caitlin as she is forced to tell Cisco everything that had happened in the last three weeks, and why Lisa had to be the one to help her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Man, this was a lot harder to write than I anticipated. I thought it was going to be so fun and full of sexy fun time, but instead, it turned out to be actual work. Oh, well. I hope you enjoy this little peek into the complex story line of Caitlin, Cisco, and Lisa.**

CAITLIN’S POV

 

_ 8:33 pm, Christmas Eve Night- Joe West’s House _

__

Caitlin trailed behind Lisa, with Cisco bringing up the rear, as she tromped up the steps of Joe’s house headed toward her doom. This was not what she had planned for her Christmas Eve, to be honest. Instead, she had planned to escape from Joe’s house without incident and sequester herself in her own home and unpack her bags after her three-week impromptu vacation courtesy of Len. Alas, the best laid schemes of mice and men oft go astray, especially when Lisa Snart was involved.

When they reached the top of the steps, Caitlin stepped past Lisa, who was wearing her best Stripper Claus outfit, and led the way to Barry’s old room. She opened the door and crossed directly to the window to look out at the freezing rain and to catch the drifting sound of carolers so she didn’t have to see the betrayal on Cisco’s face when he shut the door firmly behind the three of them.

Lisa, completely unconcerned about the tension in the little room, collapsed across the neatly-made, red plaid bedspread and patted each side of her. “It’s a tight fit, but I think we can do it. What do you think, baby?” she asked Cisco with devilish smile.

Cisco closed his eyes and held up his hand. “Stop. Just…stop saying shit like that, Lisa.”

Caitlin sighed wearily, already exhausted, and the conversation had barely begun. “She won’t stop, Cisco. Believe me, after three weeks in her company, I have found out that there is no ‘off’ switch on her mouth.”

Lisa shot Caitlin her patented flirty smile and cooed, “It comes in handy sometimes. You would know that for yourself if you had just tried it when I offered, but instead, you can ask Cisco. He’ll tell you all about how my mouth can go all night long.”

Cisco raised his fist to his mouth, closed his eyes, and breathed deep through flared nostrils. “ _Ay Dios m_ _ío_ ,” he muttered. Caitlin, from previous experience, knew that this was going to get bad if Cisco was already switching over to Spanish. He opened his eyes, glared at Lisa, and turned to face Caitlin once more without comment. “Caity, come on. This is me. We’ve been friends too long to start playing games with each other now. Just fucking tell me what happened. Please.”

And there it was: that moment Caitlin had been dreading for over three weeks now. She was going to have to confess to her best friend that she was a murderer. She knew that telling Cisco would change the way he looked at her in some fundamental way, and she had already lost so much ground with him in almost killing him with her lips. It had to be done, though. Caitlin had known that she would tell Cisco everything, and even the thought of it had terrified her. So, when Len had booked her on a private plane headed to Canada within an hour of his rescue, Caitlin had immediately agreed to do whatever Len wanted as long as it kept her far, far away from the ruin she had made of her life. The ruin she had made of her relationship with Cisco. Caitlin had done what she had learned to excel at her entire life; she had run from her fears, avoided the emotional fallout, and postponed anger, sorrow, grief, and guilt for another time.

But, now she was back, and it was time to pay the devil his due. Len had told her that the only way she could conquer the Frost was to face her fears boldly and without hesitation. It was easier said than done for Caitlin, however, and she felt her anxiety begin to rise along with _Her_.

Caitlin slammed her eyes shut as the alarms sounded from her cell phone. Caitlin focused on retaining control of her body and she told herself mentally, _“No! I am not running away this time! I will be the one to tell him. Not You.”_ Caitlin opened her eyes and blinked as she felt the ice retreat, but she still needed a vent to bleed off the power rolling through her veins. Ignoring Cisco’s wariness and Lisa’s fierce pride, Caitlin stalked over to the window and opened the latch. Reaching her hand out into the rain, she allowed the frost to be released into the atmosphere. In mere moments, fat snowflakes began to drop from the sky in moist clusters that hit the window with a _splat_. Caitlin sighed in relief as the ice within her began to recede and grow calm once more.

“Well done, Caity,” Lisa purred with satisfaction. “I see our lessons have paid off handsomely.”

Caitlin shot her a pointed look before she turned to face her friend. Without preamble or gloss, Caitlin gave him a play-by-play of everything that had happened that night after they had kissed. She did not allow herself to look away from him as she told him how a mugger had tried to kidnap her with a gun, and how Killer Frost had taken over. She described in vivid detail how she had killed the man before Len had come along to contain things. As Lisa peeled off her boots and wiggled her stockinged toes, Caitlin finished, “That was why the CCTV footage had been scrubbed, Cisco. That was why I had to disappear for a time. Len was protecting me from the legal consequences of murder. He erased the evidence and sent me out of the country until he could be certain it was safe for me to come back.” Caitlin’s voice shook at the end, but she straightened her shoulders and faced Cisco’s reaction head on.

She couldn’t get a read on Cisco’s emotions, though, and she flinched when he slowly closed the gap between them. He paused before her and locked gazes with her before reaching his hand up to hover centimeters away from her jawline. “I want to see it, Cait. Will you let me?”

Caitlin felt her resolve crumble, and the ice swelled back up inside until it spilled out of her eyes and froze against her cheeks. Her voice shook when she whispered, “Yes. I don’t want you to see it, but you need to.”

Cisco’s hand cradled her jaw and she felt a vibration from his palm so intense that it stole her breath. Cisco’s chocolate eyes went vacant and began to move around as if he were watching a movie only he could see. Caitlin was afraid to move even though she could feel Cisco’s power creeping across her skin like the vibrations of a bass drum being blasted across a gigantic amplifier. She had only felt the sensation of Cisco’s vibes a time or two before, but it had never felt like this. Cisco was focused and intent, applying his powers like a skilled surgeon, as he mined Caitlin’s past for information. She wanted so badly to nuzzle into the heat of his palm, but Cisco wasn’t there right now to appreciate the gesture. She knew that he was standing inside Caitlin’s recent past and watching what happened. She even knew when he saw Killer Frost create a spear of ice and impale the criminal with it until he hung suspended from the ground in a macabre display. His grip on her jaw tightened and the vibrations crawling across her skin intensified until all the hairs on her body stood straight up.

Cisco finally gasped and broke away from her to stumble back a few paces. Lisa’s voice interrupted their tense moment when she told Caitlin, “His vibes are intense, aren’t they, Caity? You should feel what he can do with just one finger against your clit.” Lisa shivered dramatically against the surface of the bed with a little moan. “God, you have no idea what you’re missing, honey.”

Caitlin could feel the heat rushing into her cheeks, but her embarrassment was for naught. Cisco wasn’t even paying attention to them. He was too busy clenching and unclenching his fists. He snarled, “That motherfucker deserved to die exactly like he did.” Caitlin startled and her gaze snapped back to his and locked on. He looked her square in the eye and saw all the way down below the ice, and he said, “I’m glad She was there to protect you, Caity. That man was nothing more than a rabid dog intent on tearing his way through life and anyone that stood in his way. She was actually merciful in putting him down so quickly. I would have made him suffer first.”

Caitlin gasped at the vehemence and deadly fury that burned in his gaze. Her first response was to retreat from his anger, but she marshalled her courage and engaged him instead. “Don’t do that, Cisco. Don’t try to rationalize what I did. It doesn’t matter who threw that spear, because both of us are the same person. I killed that man in cold blood without pause. I could have frozen his gun or caused him to slip and fall, but instead, I chose to end his life in a brutal show of force. That was not self-defense; that was intent to kill. Don’t let your emotions paint what I did with a softer color. You’re a scientist, Cisco. Look at the facts and form the correct conclusion. I am a murderer, plain and simple.”

Distantly, she registered Lisa easing off the bed to join them on silent feet until she slid in between her and Cisco like a living bridge by taking each of their hands in one of her own. “See, Caity? Didn’t I tell you how good it would feel to speak your mind? Don’t hold anything back. He’s a big boy. He can take it.”

Cisco’s gaze broke away from Caitlin and he turned to look at Lisa. Caitlin’s heart gave a faint twinge of jealousy, but it faded quickly. The past three weeks with Lisa had changed everything for Caitlin. It was because of this bold, brave, and outrageous woman that Caitlin had been able to gain the upper hand over Frost. Lisa had shown her how to just let go of the fear and to hold her hands up in the air as the roller coaster of her emotions plunged, twisted, and swooped. Lisa had taught Caitlin how to use the weapon of truth to slay her own doubts and to stop running from herself. She needed Lisa in her life right now, but she also needed Cisco. There was no room for jealousy in that equation.

Cisco’s voice was rough as sandpaper when he rumbled, “Lisa, where have you been? I called you and texted you a million times. Why didn’t you just tell me you were with Caity?”

Lisa’s shiny brunette hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned in to press a soft, clinging kiss to his lips. “Oh, darling, I know I left you hanging, but she needed me. That first week was very touch and go, and it took all my substantial cunning and persistence to break through to her. I’m sorry I had to leave you, baby, but I’m back now and I brought Caity with me.”

Caitlin swallowed the snowball of anxiety that formed in her throat. Lisa had told Caitlin several times over the last three weeks that she was the perfect person to help her and Cisco navigate a sexual relationship, because she wanted both of them. The idea had thoroughly shocked Caitlin at the time, but after three weeks of uninterrupted time with the crazy woman, Caitlin had become acclimated to the idea. That didn’t mean that she wasn’t terrified out of her mind, but at least Caitlin wasn’t running away from it, either.

Caitlin glanced down at their hands, all three of them bound together through Lisa. Caitlin lifted her left hand and held it out to Cisco’s free right hand, and whispered, “Take my hand, Cisco. See for yourself where we’ve been and what we did for the past three weeks. You need to know what she’s done for me.”

Cisco’s hand lifted and he threaded his fingers with hers and used his grip to pull her in tight to his side, while his other hand did the same with Lisa. When both women were tucked into his chest, he said with steel in his tone, “Oh, I will, and you two are coming with me.”

Caitlin lost her breath on a gasp when a deep vibration reverberated through her entire body until she felt her reality twist and bend upon itself until she was standing in a snowy meadow just outside a log cabin deep in the Canadian wilderness. She, Cisco, and Lisa were still bound together and they watched as a group while the scene in front of them played out. Caitlin shuddered as she recalled the day in vivid detail. It was the first and last time she had almost killed Lisa.

Memory Caitlin was completely out of control and Killer Frost was there in all her savage, icy beauty. Wild platinum hair flowed down to kiss her shoulders, her irises were a crystalline ice blue, and the snow around her feet began to swirl and rise around her like a tornado. Memory Lisa, on the other hand, was watching her carefully from a few feet away while dressed like a snow bunny ready for the slopes. She didn’t appear scared of Frost, but she was cautious as she slowly stepped through the deep snow to approach the wild snow goddess.

_“Lisa, Lisa, Lisa,” Frost said with a chiding tone. “You have been a very naughty girl. You make Caitlin nervous and afraid. It’s quite amusing, really.”_

_Lisa paused just outside the swirling vortex of snow and reached a mitten-covered hand out to play with the dancing white flakes as she drawled, “Oh, I am fully aware of how I affect Caitlin, my dear. I just need to know how I affect You.”_

_With a slow, chilling smile, Killer Frost stepped closer and the vortex of snow widened to include Lisa in the eye of calm at the center with the unstable murderess. Lisa didn’t look afraid, though. She looked triumphant. “That is the question of the day, isn’t it, GG? So many different possibilities with you.” Frost raised her fingers to cup Lisa’s throat in her hand and continued, “I could freeze your blood in your veins where you stand. I could drown you in snow until it closed your airways and you smother on ice.”_

_Lisa licked her bottom lip and raised an eyebrow as she replied, “Or you could kiss me, touch me, and let me show you what it feels like to be worshiped as you deserve.”_

_Frost’s eyes sparkled with wicked intent as her grip on Lisa’s throat tightened. “Tell you what, we’ll do it your way first, and then we’ll finish off the night my way.” And Frost pulled Lisa’s lips to hers by her grip on Lisa’s throat._

_Their lips clashed in a heated kiss that sent steam billowing up from around them to turn into thick clouds of icy fog. Even though Lisa’s eyelashes were beginning to form frost, she sank into Killer Frost’s body and twined her fingers deep into the platinum tresses on Frost’s head and held her tight as she kissed her back for all she was worth. The snow vortex died down and the swirling snow fell back to the earth as Frost snaked her arms around Lisa to pull her in tighter while their lips dueled for supremacy._

_The steamy scene came to an abrupt halt when Lisa fisted Frost’s hair in her hands and wrenched Frost away from her hold on Lisa’s lips. The ice goddess cried out in furious pain as Lisa knocked Frost’s legs out from under her until they were prone on the ground with Lisa straddling Frost in the position of power. Lisa was panting hard, her breaths fogging in the cold air, as she snarled, “Caitlin, you control Her, not the other way around. Come back here and face me yourself.”_

_Caitlin gasped and her body arched against Lisa’s hold as her hair began to darken in streaks and her irises darkened to midnight blue. She blinked rapidly up at Lisa who was smiling with grim satisfaction and blurted, “You kissed me! I don’t even like you!”_

_Lisa’s throaty laughter echoed over the hushed, snow-covered meadow. “Yes, I did, Caity. And yes, you do.” Just to prove her point, she leaned in to kiss Caitlin again, but this time, Lisa was slow, thorough, and devastating in her technique until Caitlin was making small, desperate noises in her throat. Lisa pulled back slowly and peeled her eyes open to offer Caitlin a seductive smile. “We are going to have so much fun together over the next few weeks.”_

Caitlin gasped as more vibrations pulled her, Cisco, and Lisa to vision after vision of what the two of them had experienced together over the last three weeks. Like a fast-moving slideshow, Cisco shuffled through Caitlin’s and Lisa’s time together as if searching for something, but all he got were glimpses of her and Lisa traveling, shopping, dancing in clubs, laughing, and having fun. With a growl of frustration, Cisco broke the vibe and brought them back to Barry’s old bedroom.

Lisa was the first to break the taut silence. She hugged Cisco around the waist and giggled, “You were checking to see if we had sex with each other, weren’t you?” Her hand slid seductively up the length of Cisco’s abs and she added, “No, baby. Caitlin and I didn’t have any fun without you, though I must confess that it wasn’t for lack of trying on my part.” She sighed dramatically and offered Caitlin a saucy wink.

Caitlin eased away from Cisco’s embrace and stepped back to create some distance between the three of them as Cisco’s fingers reluctantly released her. “Those three weeks with Lisa wasn’t about sex, Cisco. Not really. It was about learning how to trust myself not to lose control. Lisa helped me in ways you can’t begin to imagine.”

Cisco’s gaze met hers again as he pulled Lisa in tighter to his chest where she snuggled against him. “I’m happy for you, Caity. Really I am, but where does that leave things between us? I can’t just pretend that kiss never happened. I can’t go back to the way things used to be between us anymore. Not now that I know what it feels like to kiss you and touch you.”

Caitlin dropped her gaze as heat climbed up her face to stain it dark pink. “I don’t know, Cisco. I can’t risk hurting you again, and I still don’t trust my control enough to keep it from happening. That’s why I need to put some space between us. I’m still learning how to strip away Her hold on my emotions.”

Lisa reached out to snatch Caitlin’s hand and dragged her back into their circle until the three of them were sandwiched together in a cozy embrace. Lisa pecked Caitlin on the lips and squeezed Cisco’s waist as she exclaimed, “That’s where I come in, my stubborn little Caity. You see, Lenny gave me the most marvelous Christmas gift. It’s an amazing pair of handcuffs that disrupt metahuman powers. Just imagine the possibilities of what the three of us could do together without the fear of your ice taking over. Then, when you feel like you have better control, we can try our games without them.”

Cisco groaned and threw his head back to stare at the ceiling. “ _Dios, dame fuerzas_ ,” he muttered under his breath before he cleared his throat and said, “I’m not doing anything that Caitlin doesn’t want to do, Lisa.” He turned to search Caitlin’s expression for clues, but she could see the fervent spark of excitement in his eyes. Her own pulse raced as her imagination began to play out lurid fantasies inside her mind as Cisco whispered, “I do want you, Caity. Anyway you’ll have me.”

Caitlin allowed Lisa to pull her in tighter to Cisco’s chest alongside of her, and Cisco’s arm automatically cupped Caitlin’s waist until he could spread his hand across the expanse of Caitlin’s stomach. Caitlin ruthlessly pushed Frost back down and determined to be the one to take control of her own wants and desires, and said, “I want you, too, Cisco, but a part of me wants Lisa, as well. Is that something you’re prepared to deal with? I’m not going to lie to you; I’m terrified about the thought of opening myself up like this, but it’s what I want. It’s what I _need_.”

Cisco nodded slowly as if he were lost in a hypnotic trance, but Lisa’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she leaned in to steal a kiss from each of them. “Thank goodness that’s all settled and we can finally move on to the fun part. Now it’s your turn, you guys. Seal the deal with a kiss.”

Caitlin’s eyes went wide in surprise, but Cisco had no such qualms about following her advice. He hugged Caitlin in tighter to his body, and leaned in to claim Caitlin’s lips with a hard, passionate kiss that stole the breath from Caitlin’s lungs. She was overwhelmed with his heat once more, but this time, it washed over her like molten lava and drowned her with vibrations of his power. His vibes echoed throughout her body, disrupting the ice before it could form, and melting that frozen core inside of her with wave upon wave of hot, soothing vibrations that sent her blood racing and had her pussy swelling with desire for more of him.

Cisco pulled away from her slowly, allowing his power to ebb and flow like a gentle tide, until he was gazing into her eyes from only a breath away. “Not here. Not now. But soon. I want you to be very sure this is what you want, Caity, because there’s no going back from where this will take us. Think about it for a few days, and if you still feel the same way, we’ll all three meet again where we are guaranteed our uninterrupted privacy. Okay?”

Caitlin nodded wordlessly, because her heart was pounding in her throat. Lisa made her presence known by squeezing them both tight and announcing, “God, please say ‘yes’, Caitlin. You have no idea how good this can be between us.”

Caitlin’s control over her power was slipping fast, so she stepped out of their embrace and took several shaky steps backward. “I think you’re right, Cisco. I need some time to really think about all this.” She dropped her gaze and headed toward the closed bedroom door. She paused to glance over her shoulder, and added, “I’ll be at home for the next few days, but I’ll have my cell phone on. I’ll talk to you soon.” And she opened the door to make her escape from the thick, sexual tension choking the room.

She didn’t wait for either of them to reply before she raced down the steps and headed directly for her coat and purse. Barry was waiting for her at the bottom, though, and intercepted her before she could reach the front door. His hands gripped her shoulders, and his expression was creased with concern when he asked, “Are you alright, Caitlin? Is there anything I can do?”

Caitlin’s heart warmed at Barry’s obvious worry for her, and she paused long enough to give him a firm hug. “Everything is fine, Barry. I just need some time to think about some things, that’s all. Go spend your Christmas with Len and enjoy your time with him. I’ll be okay, I promise.”

He nodded reluctantly and stepped back to open the door for her. Caitlin stepped out into the dark, snowy night and Barry called out, “Be careful, Cait! Call me tomorrow, okay?”

She agreed readily and made haste to climb into her car and head for home. She had a lot to think about over the next few days, and she had to do it alone. Or as alone as she could get with _Her_ whispering in her ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Okay, you guys. I have a three day weekend ahead of me to write more, but first, I have got to tackle the ginormous mess that is my house. Christmas decorations have to be put away, boxes recycled, floors swept, vacuums run, and toys put away. I'm talking hours of cleaning and organizing, my friends. It won't be fun, it won't be pretty, but at least there will be Beastie Boys playing over my music dock as I erase all evidence of holiday cheer. Thank you for all your kind words of support and encouragement, and I hope you enjoy this bonus chapter! See you soon, friends!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really sure what to say about this chapter. It took me a lot longer to write than I expected, but at least there is some sexy times straight ahead!

The time on Barry’s phone when he awoke late on Christmas Day said 4:34 pm. He rubbed his face and stretched under the covers before he realized the other side of the bed was cold. Barry turned on his side to confirm that Len was gone and frowned. The last he remembered was pretending to be asleep when Len had arrived back at their bedroom early this morning. Barry had lain there in the bed, straining to hear every little sound that Len made and storing it away in his memory to keep forever. He had heard the _clink_ of Len’s large, silver watch hitting the dresser, the _swish_ of fabric as Len’s jeans fell to the floor, and _trickle drip_ of running water in the adjoining bathroom as Len brushed his teeth. Only when Len had climbed in the bed behind him and settled along his back had Barry been able to truly relax. He had fallen asleep within seconds of Len kissing the back of his neck, and that was the last he remembered.

Barry ran to the restroom, wrangled his erection in order to piss, and ran back to the bed to snuggle under the warm covers again. He snagged Len’s pillow and hugged it to his chest to breathe deep of his lover’s aroma. Len always smelled like Polo Black, fresh winter air, and his own natural scent with traces of cigarette smoke lingering like a shadow. It was a scent that Barry had come to associate with Len and sex, so it was no wonder that his morning wood got even harder and pulsed for release. Barry closed his eyes as he buried his nose in the pillow and snuck his right hand under the blankets to grip himself try to ease the ache of longing that rose up inside of him as he replayed scene after scene in his mind of the times that they had fucked and Barry moaned into the pillow with arrested desire.

The door clicking open softly brought Barry’s face out of the pillow and he automatically drew his hand away from throbbing erection and pretended to be asleep once more so he could watch Len for a moment unnoticed. Len was slipping back into the room on silent feet, and Barry watched through mostly-closed eyes as Len crept over to his desk. He fished a key from his pocket, slipped it into a lock in one of the drawers, and retrieved a small, rectangular device from his pocket and locked it into the depths of the drawer. It was difficult for Barry to tell what the device was because of the low lighting and his position, but whatever it was, it was something that Len didn’t want Barry to see.

Len got up and very slowly stripped off his boots, jeans, long-sleeved tee shirt, and leather jacket, put them all away, and padded over to the bed in bare feet. Barry continued his ruse of sleeping until Len eased into the bed beside him and disturbed the surface tension. Barry hummed and stretched and easily settled against Len’s chest and threw his leg across Len’s so he could press his still-aching cock against Len’s hip. Len wrapped his arms around Barry and chuckled deep in his chest as he rumbled, “Either you were having a really good dream, or you’re obviously happy to see me.”

Barry nuzzled his nose in the crisp curls that dotted Len’s pecs and answered with a rusty voice, “Both. I was dreaming about the time you fucked me while I was cuffed.”

Barry smiled against Len’s skin when his lover breathed in fast and his cock began to grow against Barry’s thigh. Barry listened as Len’s heartrate kicked into high gear under his ear, and Barry knew he had just found Len’s button. Len’s voice was deep and rich with lust when he replied, “If I hadn’t given them back to their rightful owner, I would make that dream a reality right now.”

Barry’s head popped up in surprise and his brow furrowed when he asked, “You gave them back to Cisco? When did you do that?”

Len scrubbed his fingers through Barry’s hair and massaged his scalp as he replied lightly, “Indirectly. I gave them to Lisa for Christmas. I have a feeling they will make their way back to where they belong through her.”

Barry shook his head and lay back down. “You are an evil genius, Len. Have I ever told you that before? Because you really are.”

Barry yelped when Len rolled him to his back and loomed over top of him in a surprise move. Barry could see the gleam of his white, wolfish grin as he said, “I never claimed to be anything else, Scarlet.” Len’s hand snaked between them to grasp onto Barry’s iron-hard cock and squeezed. Barry cried out and his nails scrabbled at Len’s back as Len added, “Emphasis on ‘evil’.”

Len leaned in and claimed Barry’s lips with a deep, seeking kiss. His tongue flowed inside Barry’s mouth and licked and explored in a dominant show of force. Barry thrilled at the possessive way Len settled into his body and covered him like warm blanket. Len kissed Barry long and deep as their bodies thrust and writhed against each other until Barry reluctantly broke away to breathe. Barry held Len close with his arms wrapped around Len’s back and his legs hooked around Len’s own in order to hold him tighter.

“You’re not evil, Len. You’re practical and not afraid of bending the rules to get what you want,” Barry softened the punchline of his joke. “I like you just the way you are.”

Len kissed a path across Barry’s collarbone and further up to nip and suck at the column of his neck as he replied, “I know you do, baby,” Len whispered in his ear as he dug his fingers into Barry’s hair and tugged to get his attention. “But do you trust me, Barry? Do you have faith in me and truly know that I would never do anything to hurt you, and that every decision I make is for your safety?”

Barry tugged his head out of Len’s grasp and pulled away to meet his pale blue eyes. “Why are you asking me that, Len? Of course I trust you, but you also need to know that every decision I make now is for your safety, too. Trust goes both ways, Len. Not just one.”

Len searched Barry’s gaze and Barry allowed him to see the sheer depth and breadth of his love for Len. He would give this man anything without question and without hesitation, because Barry knew down to the roots of his soul that Len loved him the very same way even if he was still incapable of saying it with words. Len swallowed thickly and his tone was rough when he said, “I just had to make sure, Barry, because what I’m about to ask of you is skating very close to a dangerous knife’s edge for me.”

Barry furrowed his brows and his heart began to race in his chest. He had never seen Len this serious before, and he couldn’t help but wonder if this had anything to do with that device that Len had hidden in his desk. “What do you want to me ask me?”

Len cupped Barry’s face in his big palm and brushed his calloused thumb across the sweep of Barry’s cheekbone. “I want you to try to feed me your power on purpose, Scarlet. There’s a reason your subconscious mind has been directing the speed force into me, and I think we would be wise to figure out why and how to harness it.”

Barry was stunned. That was not at all what he thought Len was going to say. Foolishly, the thought had even sprung to mind that Len may propose, or in the worst case scenario, demand to know what Barry had seen in the future. Not once did his imagination conjure this option, though. The only few times the power transfer had happened, Len had been adamant that it not happen again, but now he wanted Barry to do it on purpose. It made no sense to Barry, and he said as much to Len.

“I’m confused, Len. I thought you told me that it shouldn’t happen again. That giving you the speed force was too dangerous since you don’t have metahuman DNA. Not that I’m against the idea, but why the sudden change of heart?” Barry asked, his curiosity coloring his tone.

Len’s gaze dropped to Barry’s lips, and he licked his own before he replied, “Like I said, Scarlet. Every decision I make is for your safety. I want to protect you in every way, even your heart. If we are able to harness and control your ability to share the speed force with me, it could one day save one of our lives.”

Barry’s heart bounced off his ribs and rebounded through his chest. Did Len somehow know what Barry had seen, or was he just being cautious? Either way, Barry already knew what his answer would be. “Let’s do it, Len. I don’t know if I can make it happen consciously, though.”

Len’s lips curled into a feral grin and he began to move over top of Barry until he had both of Barry’s wrists held secure in one big hand while his free one began to creep lower to where Barry’s cock lay hard and weeping. “That’s where I come in, Scarlet. Let’s see if I can summon some blue lightning.”

Barry arched against Len’s dominant hold and cried out when Len’s hand gripped Barry’s cock in a firm hold and began to stroke and pull while his thumb across the slick tip. “Len! God!” Barry gasped as the speed force began to cycle restlessly inside of him.

Len was merciless in his efforts to ramp Barry up the incline toward insanity. He dove between Barry’s lips to lick and drink from the well of Barry’s soul, and Barry immediately drowned in the sensation of being owned and taken care of by Len. What would he do without him? He needed Len with a desperation that drove Barry insane, and if Len died, then Barry would be lost.

“Don’t you dare go away in your mind while I’m right here with you, Scarlet,” Len growled in his ear with reprimand. “Apparently, I need to try harder to get your attention. Don’t move your hands.” Len released his grip on Barry’s wrists and began to move down Barry’s body.

Barry’s fingers twisted in the firm material of the pillow beneath his head, but his hips thrust upwards as Len’s moist, hot breath fanned across Barry’s straining erection a moment before he lowered his mouth over the crown. “Oh, God, that feels so good, Len,” Barry moaned, his fingers twitching to leave their grip on the pillow to run across Len’s shortly-sheared hair. “Don’t stop. Don’t ever stop!”

Barry’s gut clenched as Len pulled Barry’s shaft back deep in this throat and _swallowed_ around the tip. Barry cried out and he tried to thrust his hips, but Len’s strong hands were right there to hold him down with their grip on his hipbones as he bobbed and sucked at Barry’s aching cock. Barry could feel the speed force ramping up inside of him, pushing and pulling him closer to the peak, as Len worked him ruthlessly with his mouth. Just when Barry was about to lose control and come down Len’s throat, the man pulled off of him and sat back on his heels to study Barry’s wrecked countenance.

“That’s more like it,” Len purred, satisfaction dripping from his lips. “Now I have your attention, and I see flashes of blue behind your eyes. What are feeling right now, Scarlet? What are you thinking about that has the speed force so agitated and ready to break free?”

Barry’s arm muscles strained against his death grip on the pillow and he used his legs to tether Len to his perch between Barry’s spread thighs. “You, Len. I’m thinking about you and how badly I want you to fuck me and own me and keep me forever. I feel like I’m about to explode with desire for more of you, and I feel like the speed force will bind us together if I could just let it free of its leash.”

Len gripped his thick, hard shaft with a curse and closed his eyes for long seconds to gain composure. “Damn, Scarlet. You’re getting better at this all the time,” he muttered as he leaned across the bed to snag the bottle of lubricant.

Len made short work of popping the cap and dousing his fingers before he sought out Barry’s entrance and began to tease and swirl at his opening with slippery fingertips. He dipped his fingers inside Barry’s opening, and slowly sank two of them deep inside his channel. Barry grunted as the flash of burning pain licked up his spine to radiate throughout his body before the speed force swooped in to erase the memory of it. It was always like that with Len; sharp, breathtaking pain followed by the ecstasy of his possession. “Yes!” Barry moaned as Len used his fingers to pump in and out of his ass as he spread and worked Barry open for his cock. “Fuck, I want you, Len. Don’t make me wait.”

With a groan of his own, Len retrieved his fingers and hastily slicked his cock up with more lube until his fist made lewd noises as it slid up and down his thick length. He patted Barry’s hip and said, “Turn around for me and stick your ass in the air. I want to watch my cock split you open. I want to see you take every inch of me inside you.”

Barry’s cheeks flamed just like they did every single time Len got bossy and demanding and kinky when they were alone, but still Barry obeyed him. He turned on stomach and spread his knees while his shoulders and head lay on the mattress and his arms stretched above his head to grab onto the slats of the headboard. Len approved of the view, apparently, because he growled and smacked Barry’s ass before kneading and grabbing both cheeks in his hands. “God damn, baby. Look at you all spread open wide and ready for me.” Len reached out to dip his slick fingers in and out Barry’s opening as Barry made pitiful noises of agony and ecstasy. “You ready for me, Scarlet? Do you want me to fuck you fast and hard, or deep and slow?”

Barry’s face burned and he hid his gaze in the covers of the bed as Len continued to play and torture Barry’s opening before reaching down to tug and pull at his cock. He could feel the speed force cycling faster and faster, but this time, he didn’t grab onto it with a chokehold. This time he just whispered to it, _“Wait.”_ Barry arched his ass into Len’s touch and impaled himself on his lover’s thick fingers. A pained grunt broke from Barry’s throat as he finally rasped, “Both. Deep and slow to begin with, but then I want fast and hard until you come deep inside me. Fuck me, Len. The speed force is waiting to claim you in return.”

He felt Len’s body shake with a hard tremor before the familiar weight of Len’s body covered his. Barry closed his eyes with breathless anticipation as he felt Len line himself up with Barry’s hole and begin to push. Len’s voice was a primitive growl when he whispered harshly in Barry’s ear, “How are you so fucking perfect, Scarlet? Fuck, you make me crazy. You know that? Maybe I should return the favor.”

Len rose up on his knees and used his hand to guide the fat, weeping crown of his cock right up against Barry’s hole and pushed. Len continued to push the very tip of his cock inside Barry’s hole, pulse with shallow thrusts that never allowed his crown to breach the tight ring, and then pull back out again. He played that way for long, agonizing moments, dipping inside Barry’s opening before retreating once more. It was not enough to satisfy the desperate yearning in Barry’s soul to be filled by Len, so the next time Len pushed the barest tip of his cock inside, Barry thrust his hips back. “FUCK!” Barry yelled out into the covers as his nerve endings screamed with fiery pain, but before he could begin to regret his actions, the speed force repaired and soothed and healed the pain until Barry was left with the sensation of being too full followed by that blissful freedom he found in giving himself, body and soul, over to Len’s care.

Len’s hands were like vises on Barry’s hip bones and a guttural moan tore from his lips as he used his grip to sink even further inside. Barry hissed and then moaned Len’s name when Len pulled back out just as slowly before he reversed paths to push his way back into the tight grip of Barry’s body. “Fuck, yes. I love to hear my name on your lips, Scarlet. I love knowing that you are mine, and no one else’s. I need to hear you say it, Scarlet. Tell me who you belong to.”

Barry quaked as the speed force pushed at the boundaries of his flesh in trying to get to Len, but Barry held it back just a bit longer. He grunted with each impact of Len’s cock driving deep into Barry’s ass, and his hands grasped and twisted at the sheets as he met each thrust of Len’s cock with a backward push of his hips. Barry was lost on that beautiful endorphin sea that only Len could take him to, and he sounded dreamy and faraway as he replied in a deep, sultry voice, “You, Len. Only you. I am yours, and all that I have is yours, too. Take it all. I want you to have every part of me.” Len’s strokes were getting rougher, harder, and deeper and Barry reveled in the pounding rhythm of Len’s cock filling him up so good, so fucking good…

Barry gasped and released his hold on the speed force and felt it race across his skin until it found Len’s hands. Even as Len cried out and began to fuck him harder, Barry concentrated on reeling some of the power back into himself until just a trickle was able to flow up Len’s fingers from where they bruised the skin of Barry’s hips. Barry felt his power continue to spread and explore across the expanse of Len’s body like curious scientists as Len growled and heaved over Barry’s body with animalistic lust. “Holy shit, Scarlet!” Len growled as he continued to power deep into Barry’s ass. “That feels incredible.”

He reached down and pulled Barry upright until his back was plastered to Len’s front. Barry’s knees were spread wide and Len was kneeling beneath him with his cock impaling Barry to the hilt. Barry’s chest heaved for breath, and Len’s own breaths were labored as he wrapped his left arm around Barry’s chest and gripped Barry’s swollen, red cock with his right hand. Barry was completely pliant in Len’s arms and lost himself in the feeling of connection he had to Len through the speed force. Barry could feel the strength in Len’s body, the core of determination, and most of all, he could feel the desperate yearning that consumed Len when it came to Barry. He shivered as Len’s love poured back into Barry through the speed force and slowly pushed more of his power into Len’s body. Len snarled and slammed Barry’s ass down on his cock and his fist pumped and milked Barry’s cock toward climax.

“It’s almost too much, baby,” Len’s voice was strained in his ear. “Pull it back just a hair.”

Barry shook his head wildly where it was propped on Len’s shoulder. “No, Len. You need more!” Barry cried out as his body seized with his climax. With his last conscious thought, Barry let go of the speed force with both hands and allowed it flood over Len like a tsunami. Barry’s body felt like it was being flayed apart with blades of pure pleasure as he came with gut-clenching spasms that had him crying out for mercy.

Len, for his part, had completely lost control of his body as the speed force consumed him with Barry’s power. His body moved impossibly fast as he growled, and sweat, and powered his cock in and out of Barry’s tight opening. “Barry! God, please!” Len cried out as he buried his cock deep and came with fierce blasts of his seed.

Barry knew that he needed to pull the speed force back before he hurt Len, so he carefully began to will his power back home. It seemed so easy to do now that he knew what it felt like, and he was able to adjust the voltage with just a thought. He gave Len several zaps of the speed force until he seized and came again inside Barry’s ass with curses dripping from his lips to mix with the sweat dripping from his brow. “Enough, Scarlet! You’re just being a brat now,” Len ordered with a hard bite to Barry’s shoulder.

Barry hissed through his teeth, but the sting of Len’s teeth faded quickly as the speed force once again settled down inside of Barry in order to hum softly beneath his skin. Barry moaned and stretched beneath Len’s crushing weight and gloried in the feeling of Len’s cock still buried deep inside of him. “I may be a brat, but at least we both know I can control it now.”

Len settled himself along Barry’s back and lazily kissed a trail across the smooth pale skin of Barry’s shoulder. “Mm-hmm, that you do, Scarlet, and quite well, may I add. It hurt less this time, too. I still think you need a lot more practice.”

Barry wiggled his ass until Len growled and nipped at his throat. He laughed and replied, “You’re just saying that because you want to fuck me again, aren’t you?”

Len thrust his still-hard cock deep and Barry shivered at the sensation of Len’s come flooding down his sack from where they were still joined. “Oh, that’s a given, baby. I would stay glued to your ass all day if I could. No, I really think you need to try to control it so that it can be done even when we’re not having sex.”

Barry furrowed his brows with disappointment as Len disentangled himself from Barry’s body in order to lay next to him in the bed. He turned his head to gaze at Len and whispered, “Where did you go earlier? I woke up and you were gone.”

Barry watched the shutters come down over Len’s gaze and he knew that he would not be getting the whole truth from him. “I had a bit of business I needed to settle with Jack. That’s all. I was also arranging for our Christmas dinner since I had a feeling you wouldn’t want to go back out tonight.”

Barry was almost distracted by the thought of food, but he managed to stay focused on the goal of finding out what that device was that Len was hiding from him. Forcing casual teasing into his tone, Barry said, “Oh? Did you have Jack steal something from Mercury Labs again while we were all distracted by the holidays?”

Len leaned in to place a soft, gentle kiss against Barry’s lips as he replied, “No, I did not have Jack steal something from Mercury Labs this time. Don’t worry about it, Scarlet. I’m back now, and there is beef tenderloin, twice-baked potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and chocolate eclairs for dessert just waiting for us in the newly renovated dining room. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve worked up quite the appetite in the last hour. How about we eat and then we’ll come right back to the bed and watch _A Christmas Story_?”

Barry chuckled and let his doubts slide off of him for the time. Len was right; this was Christmas, and there was plenty of time to worry about the future tomorrow. “You know what? I say yes to all of that except the movie. I want to watch _National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation_. I’ve watched Ralphie shoot his eye out about a million times growing up with Iris.”

Len laughed and slapped Barry’s ass with a loud _smack_. “I can live with that, Scarlet. Come on. Let’s get cleaned up and get dressed so we don’t scandalize poor Mrs. Kushner and her kitchen staff.”

Barry slid out of the bed and stumbled to the bathroom to get clean towels. “You hired a cook and kitchen staff?” he called out, incredulity dripping from his tone.

Len braced his arms against the doorway of the bathroom and leaned into Barry’s personal space to press a kiss against his shoulder. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Scarlet. It’s just for tonight. And any other night we might be entertaining company. That’s all.”

Barry shook his head and handed another clean towel to Len. “I swear, I really wish I could see inside your head sometimes, Len.”

Len finished scrubbing his junk and tossed the towel at the hamper before turning away to get clothes from the dresser. “No, you really don’t, Scarlet. Trust me on that one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Um, I don't know, guys. I think I'm suffering from some post-holiday blues, because I had to practically chain myself to the desk to write this chapter. I hope it's good enough to pass muster, though! I'll try to get started on the next one soon, but it may be a day or two before I replenish my well of creative smut and shenanigans. If you have the ear of any muses, tell them to hit me up and get me out of this slump!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Wow! You guys must know some pretty awesome muses, because this chapter happened a lot easier than the last one! It's wicked long, too (that's what she said). It gets a little emotional at the very end, but I think you'll like it. I hope anyway.**
> 
> Also, I have ZERO qualifications to know how a city government works. Let's all just remember that this is fiction, m'kay?

_ 12 pm, one week after Christmas Eve _

__

“Can you just explain to me one more time why I need to be there with you?” Barry asked for the hundredth time that day. No matter how many different ways Len said it, Barry still couldn’t understand why he should attend a business lunch with Len, Cecile Horton, Captain Singh, and Mayor Anthony Bellows.

Len sighed heavily and adjusted the cuff of his dress shirt as they got dressed in their bedroom. “Because, Barry, you are getting ready to open S.T.A.R. Labs to the public in six months’ time. In order to make that deadline, you will need a powerful friend to push through the required applications and permits. As you know, the Labs have left a bad taste in the mouths of the citizens, and that includes elected officials. However, the fact that the new owner of the Labs is living with the town’s richest business owner should go a long way toward paving the path for you. Especially since re-election is in the coming year.”

Barry shook his head as he slid his navy suit jacket on over top of his pale blue button-down. “So, I’m only going to this ‘lunch’ so that I can profit off of my relationship with you? Yeah, I still don’t get it.”

Len straightened his charcoal grey suitcoat and strode over to where Barry was fussing with his cuffs. Len rescued the fine linen by claiming Barry’s wrist and deftly fastening a pair of monogrammed cufflinks through the buttonholes. Barry didn’t even blink twice at the shiny gold cufflinks shaped in capital letters of “BHA”. It wasn’t the first time that Len had so casually given him gifts. The suit Barry was wearing right now was another such gift. It had been hanging in his closet, pressed and ready to wear, when he had gotten out of the shower just half an hour past.

“Look at it this way, you’re getting a free lunch at the most expensive restaurant in town with the four most powerful people in Central City. After you, of course,” Len smirked and leaned in to peck Barry’s lips. Len took a step back and looked Barry up and down with a critical eye before he nodded with satisfaction. “Damn, Scarlet. You should wear a suit every day. You look absolutely mouth-watering.”

Barry fought the pleased blush that stained his cheeks and rolled his eyes. “I already wear a suit every day, thank you very much. And that one suit is quite enough for me. I’ll just stick to my jeans and casual shirts, and leave the badass business suits to the professionals. Like you.”

Len’s phone chimed with a text, and he pulled it from his pocket. “That’s Tony. He’s got the car pulled around front. You ready to go?”

Barry’s shoulders drooped and he trudged after Len toward the front of their house. No matter how many times he walked through the mansion, it still didn’t feel like home to him yet. He definitely needed to talk to Len about being more involved in the renovations and interior decorating. If he was going to go all in with Len, then Barry needed to start acting like it by taking an active role in the decorating of their home.

Len held the back door of the black SUV and Barry slid inside followed closely by Len. Under his breath, Barry whispered to Len, “You’re making Tony drive us? Doesn’t that seem a little…mobster-ish to you?”

Len laughed out loud and Tony’s eyes shot up to the mirror in surprise. “Maybe, Barry, but never underestimate the power of a first impression. Isn’t that right, Tony?”

Tony tipped his head back in acknowledgment and replied, “Yeah, Boss. Believe me, the first time I met you left quite the impression on me.”

Barry was instantly curious, but Tony clammed up quick after that. Deciding to seize the time he had with him during the drive to the restaurant, Barry began questioning Len about the renovations to the main house. He listened and asked questions as Len detailed the work that was being done on the rest of the mansion such as remodeling bathrooms, upgrading the kitchen, and the construction on the “meeting room” that Len was creating in the very space where he and Frost had their showdown. When questioned further about the use of the room, Len explained in vague terms about “business deals” and “cooperation”, but it wasn’t until Len huffed and said, “You know how you sometimes get visitors from Star City? I thought it would be helpful to have a place to entertain your guests since the Labs will be open to the public.” The lightbulb went off over Barry’s head, and he gave Len an appreciative squeeze on the knee for his thoughtfulness.

All too soon, though, the vehicle pulled to a stop right in front of the swanky, upscale restaurant. “Wow, you’re going all out, aren’t you? How did you even get a reservation Iacopo’s Ristorante Italiano? I thought they were booked four months out, even for lunch.”

Len slid out of the vehicle and offered Barry a hand out. He reached out to brush off invisible lint from Barry’s shoulder, and replied, “Well, it definitely helps to be the owner.”

Barry shook his head with faux disgust. “Seriously, Len? Even this place?” A new thought occurred to him and he added, “Hey, why haven’t you taken me here before if you own the joint?”

Len allowed Barry to take the lead as they walked inside. “Remember that night I brought in veal parmigiana and homemade cannoli? You’re welcome.”

Barry chuckled as they walked inside and were immediately greeted by the hostess. “Your guests have arrived and are seated in the private room, Mr. Coldiron.”

“Thank you, Vanessa,” Len replied as he surreptitiously slipped something in her hand. As she shoved it in her pocket, Barry thought he saw the flash of a gold coin.

Barry followed Len’s confident stride across the dining room until they reached a closed sliding door that Len eased open and walked through. Barry’s stomach fluttered with nerves as their three lunch companions stood to their feet to greet them upon their arrival. Len, being the master at controlling any situation, immediately took the lead and introduced himself to Captain Singh and Mayor Bellows.

Barry tried to hide himself behind Len, but Cecile caught his eye and her smile brightened. “Barry! What a pleasant surprise! Mr. Coldiron didn’t tell me you were coming along, too.”

Barry gave her an awkward hug, and replied sardonically, “Yeah, he didn’t tell me, either, until about two hours ago.”

She laughed pleasantly as Captain Singh stepped in to give Barry’s hand a firm shake. “Barry, it’s not the same around the station without you there. I was hoping that you would reconsider after Julien Albert went to bat for you.”

Barry rubbed the back of his neck and battled a pleased flush. “Thanks, Cpt. Singh. It was really nice of you both to offer me my old job back, but I’ve got so much on my plate right now that I just can’t swing it.”

Len stepped in seamlessly, and introduced him to Mayor Bellows. “Mayor, may I introduce Barry Allen to you? He is the new owner of S.T.A.R. Laboratories, and he has a lot of amazing new ideas for how the Labs can help Central City.”

Mayor Bellows shook Barry’s hand as he looked Barry up and down carefully. “Mr. Allen, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I certainly hope you do a better job than the previous owner.”

Barry hid a secret smile as he remembered this same man handing him the keys to Central City as The Flash. “Yes, sir, I certainly hope to make a better impression going forward. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to meet with us.”

The five of them settled in at the table, and the server entered as if summoned by the scraping of their chairs under the table. Each of them ordered their drinks, and Len ordered an _antipasti_ starter to keep them busy while their orders were being prepared. Once the server left and shut the door behind her, Len got down to business.

“I’m sure you’re all wondering why I invited you here today,” he began, taking the time to look each of his guests in the eyes. “I think I may have some ideas for improving the security of our citizens and helping the police better handle the out of control metahumans and other supernatural occurrences that our city is ill-equipped to handle at this time.”

Cpt. Singh and D.A. Horton exchanged loaded glances, but Mayor Bellows wasn’t as shy about voicing his opinions. “Mr. Coldiron, I mean you no offense, but I find myself skeptical of such claims coming from a newcomer to our city. In fact, I had never even heard of you until only a few days past when Cecile encouraged me to meet with you.”

Barry twitched nervously in his seat, but as usual, Len was unflappable. “I understand your reticence, Mayor, but please let me assure you that I have had expansive holdings in Central City for years now, as well as in Coast City. It’s true that I have preferred to remain in the shadows of society up until this time, but recent events have encouraged me to take a more…active role in the safety of our fine city.”

“Which recent events do you speak of, Mr. Coldiron?” Cpt. Singh asked, his tone curious. “Would they be personal reasons, or professional?”

“Both,” Len answered succinctly with a knowing wink to Cecile who hid a smile behind her hand. “I have been lucky enough to form a romantic relationship with Mr. Allen here, and since his life is here in Central City, I have decided to move here in order to be closer to him. Of course, I will miss my home in Coast City, but the distance is easily commutable when necessary. Professionally, I am looking to expand my holdings in Central City while also investing in promising business ventures in order to bring prosperity and safety to my new home.”

Barry blinked in surprise at Len so casually introducing Barry as his boyfriend. Cpt. Singh was visibly shocked, but he flashed Barry a pleased grin at the news while Cecile sighed with hearts in her eyes. Mayor Bellows, however, was still not convinced. “While all that sounds very admirable, Mr. Coldiron, I still fail to see what exactly you can offer us that we don’t already have. Our city is already protected by The Flash who works quite well with our local police departments.”

Len’s hand squeezed Barry’s knee under the table as he replied, “While that is certainly true, Mayor Bellows, you must also look further into the future. As I’m sure you remember from the alien invasion a few weeks ago, there are much bigger conflicts that exist in this world and in others. How long do you imagine it will be before The Flash is pulled away from Central City in order to join forces with others of his kind in order to keep the whole world safe? What if he is called away to another world where his services will be needed to save other citizens or resolve other conflicts? Central City does not own The Flash, and everything he does for us is purely at his whim. He may be the fastest man alive, Mayor, but he is still only one man. I believe it would be foolish in the extreme to rely so heavily on his help when we could be taking steps of our own to protect this city.”

Before Barry could interject his own opinions on the matter, Cpt. Singh slipped into the conversation. “I’m so glad you brought that up, Mr. Coldiron. It has long been a concern of mine that we may not always be lucky enough to have The Flash there to save the day. I am responsible for close to a hundred men and women in uniform, and it makes me shudder to think how we could ever go up against a metahuman like Mark Mardon without him. If it’s all the same to you, Mayor, I would like to hear his suggestions.”

Cecile Horton had a look of speculation on her face when she asked shrewdly, “Would this have anything to do with Barry’s plans to expand S.T.A.R. Labs, by any chance? Dt. West has filled me in on some of the changes coming down the pipeline, and he mentioned something about establishing a contract between the Labs and the city.”

Len’s lips turned up in a slow, calculating smile. “Cecile, you never cease to amaze me with your cleverness. Yes, that’s actually why I invited Barry to lunch with us with us today. I believe that the answer to all our problems may very well lie with Barry Allen and the Labs themselves.”

Barry shot a panicked look at Len as everyone at the table turned their eyes on him. Thankfully, he was saved from answering by the appearance of the server with their drinks and appetizer. Everyone took their turn to order from the menu, but Barry’s appetite had taken a sudden turn for the worse. Still, he ordered a plate of chicken marsala and silently wished his phone would ring with an emergency right then. However, no such text or call was received from Cisco, so he was once more faced with curious eyes on him.

“Um,” Barry began before pausing to clear his throat. “Yes, the, uh, Labs will be undergoing a lot of changes in the next six months, and I believe that we have a the beginnings of an excellent plan to benefit the citizens of Central City.”

Cecile nodded encouragingly, and Cpt. Singh looked interested, but Mayor Bellows looked like he had just swallowed a lemon. “With all due respect, Mr. Allen, but most people in this city still blame S.T.A.R. Labs for everything bad that has occurred in this city since the particle accelerator exploded. I’m not sure that even The Flash himself could convince the citizens otherwise.”

Barry’s nerves dissolved as righteous indignation took over. “Look, Mr. Mayor, I’ll be the first to admit that S.T.A.R. Labs has done a lot of damage to Central City, but they have helped, too. You can’t slander the Labs from one side of your mouth for the bad things some metahumans have done, while praising The Flash out of the other side, because they are both products of the same particle accelerator. Now, I realize that Harrison Wells was not exactly the most stable of people, but I can assure you that the remaining team members are committed to repairing the damage and helping the people of the city.”

Barry felt Len’s thumb stroke against his knee, and Barry took a deep breath before his temper got the best of him. Len smoothly interjected himself into the conversation by addressing the police captain. “Captain Singh. Tell me, how useful have you found Cisco Ramon in helping arm the police against criminal metahumans?”

The captain looked surprised at being pulled into the middle of the debate, but he didn’t hesitate when he answered, “Very. Mr. Ramon is a talented weapons and armor maker. His efforts with the shields for when we were up against the criminal duo of Snart and Rory saved lives, and those two weren’t even metahumans. In fact, I’m surprised he hasn’t already been recruited by the military. If he only knew the kind of money he could make with his inventions, we would be choking on his dust as he hightailed it out of town.”

Barry froze when Singh so nonchalantly dropped Len’s real name. For one wild second, he actually imagined the facial transmogrifier would fail just for the word “Snart” being said out loud, but Len didn’t even twitch as he smoothly turned to the mayor and said, “And who paid for those modifications to your shields, Captain? Did it come out of the city’s budget?”

Len didn’t break his hold on the mayor’s gaze as Singh replied sheepishly, “You know, now that you mention it, I don’t remember there ever being a discussion about payment at all. I guess the answer to that would be no one.”

“Wrong,” Len snapped. His ice blue eyes bored holes into mayor’s skull as he added, “S.T.A.R. Labs footed the bill for every bit of it from the materials to the labor to the tune of $107,000 plus change. You see, it didn’t even occur to Cisco to charge the city for his expertise, but that was back when there was no clear leadership. That has changed. You see, Mr. Mayor, the Labs are no longer in the position to give away their help for free to Central City. They are a business, just like any other in the city, and they need revenue in order to continue their good work.”

Barry and Cecile both sucked in a breath of surprise at the announcement. Barry had no clue that Cisco’s experiments cost so much money. He really needed to hire a team of accountants, STAT. He’d have Kimi Sato help him with that. She had more than proven her worth over the past month, and it hadn’t taken Barry long at all to rely on her heavily.

The mayor’s face turned red, and his tone was stiff when he replied, “I was not aware of this oversight, Mr. Coldiron. However, I feel the need to point out that the city has lost millions of dollars in property damage, hospital bills, and funeral expenses for every encounter the city has suffered at the hands of metahumans. In fact, I could even go so far as to say that S.T.A.R. Labs owes the city, not the other way around.”

Cecile cleared her throat and said calmly, “Mr. Mayor, may I speak very candidly with you right now?” When he nodded his head tersely for her to speak, she continued, “The city can’t afford to sever ties with S.T.A.R. Labs, and considering the fact that you are sitting across from the new owner and a major investor in those Labs, it’s looking like it could become a reality. The simple fact of the matter is that we need them if we are going to continue to fight off the consequences of that explosion. And if you think The Flash will continue to help the city if we are the cause of the Labs going bankrupt, then I would think again. You see, I have it on very good authority that S.T.A.R. Labs is pursuing a trademark over The Flash’s name and likeness, and the Man himself even showed up in a closed court to support the measure. Judge Thompson was so beside himself that he even showed me the autograph he obtained from The Flash for his granddaughter.” She paused to take a deep breath and let it out very slowly before finishing, “I really think you should listen to what Barry has to say about his plans for the Labs before you say something you might regret.”

Barry’s mouth dropped open and he stared at Cecile who had just staked her career on backing him. Oh, he was definitely telling Joe that this one was a keeper. The room was completely silent as everyone waited for the mayor’s reaction, but the moment was interrupted by the door sliding open with their lunch. As the server placed steaming plates of food down in front of each of them, he took the opportunity to glance at Len only to find the man looking right back him. Barry tried to convey his panic and distress over the course of the conversation, but Len only tipped his chin a fraction of inch and raised one eyebrow. Of course, he knew exactly what Len was saying to him. _“Relax, Scarlet. I’ve got this under control. Just follow my lead.”_ Barry instantly felt better and allowed himself to get distracted by the savory smell of his chicken marsala. Len was good at this kind of stuff, and Barry had learned by experience to just follow his lead.

As the door shut behind the server, Len said expansively, “Mayor Bellows, it was not my intention to invite you here for harsh words. In fact, I would like for us to be very good friends, you and I. If you would be so kind as to enjoy your meal while Barry outlines his plans for the Labs, I think you will find yourself pleasantly surprised and very excited about the future of a mutually beneficial relationship with S.T.A.R. Labs. What do you say? Will you hear him out?”

Barry marveled at the change that came over the mayor. His hackles went down, his lips turned up, and he picked up his knife and fork. “Of course I will, Mr. Coldiron. After all, we’re all friends here, right?”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the tension drained out of their private room. As everyone began to eat, Barry followed Len’s lead by launching into their plans for S.T.A.R. Labs. He detailed the renovations, opening up to the public, and explained how it would allow the Labs to stay operable for the future. Captain Singh interrupted to ask pointed questions about security, and Barry deferred him back to Cisco. Cecile engaged Barry on the legalities of their lawsuit to trademark The Flash, and Barry neatly explained that he couldn’t divulge information on advice from his attorney.

“Kimi Sato, right?” Cecile asked, her tone dripping with a mixture of distaste and envy. “She’s like the Ghost Shark among the legal eagles in the city. I rarely ever see her coming, but when she shows up, my cases get blown straight to hell. Good for you, Barry. You’re going to need her.”

Barry could still tell that the mayor was not appeased yet, so he focused on him. He went on to explain how all proceeds for sales from Flash merchandise would go directly to a charity they were starting for citizens of Central City that were affected by metahuman and supernatural violence. Mayor Bellow’s spine straightened and leaned over his plate and said intently, “Tell me more about this charity.”

Taking courage from Len’s brief squeeze of his knee, Barry outlined their plans for a mini-Flash museum with a gift shop and told the mayor how important it was to him and his partners to be able to give back to the city. The mayor was practically salivating at this point, but Len was the one that drove it home.

“So, you see, Mr. Mayor, not only will S.T.A.R. Laboratories be adding jobs for citizens, but they will also be providing a service to Central City by attracting tourism dollars. Over the past three years, The Flash has become famous beyond the borders of this town. He has been sighted in Star City often enough that he has gained notoriety even there. Imagine the possibilities over the years as his name is spread across the world. Everyone will want to visit The Flash’s hometown and buy souvenirs. They will plan vacations around visiting Central City, and all that lovely money will be funneled not only into the businesses of our great city, but also directly into the city itself in taxes. I’m sure CCPD would benefit greatly from an increase in their annual budget, especially if the Labs were to be contracted at discounted rate should the need arise for their expertise. I didn’t get where I am today by ignoring potential for profit, Mayor Bellows. And neither did you.” Len finished his speech by leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

Barry was stunned by the forethought Len had put into his scheme. He didn’t know why the man still had the power to shock him, and yet, it happened still. If everything happened according to Len’s master plan, Central City and S.T.A.R. Labs weren’t the only ones that would be making a profit. Barry thought back and tried to remember how many businesses Len had said he owned in Central City, but he couldn’t recall the exact number. Still, Barry knew it was a lot, and very likely in the process of buying more. It all became crystal clear in Barry’s mind in that moment of clarity. Len was going to own Central City from the slums all the way up to city hall by the time he was through with them.

As if they were the only two in the room, Mayor Bellows leaned toward Len with a calculating gleam in his eye. “In your educated opinion, Mr. Coldiron, what would you suggest the city do in order to facilitate your plans?” He shot a nervous glance at a glowering Cecile before he hastily added, “All legal and above board, of course.”

Len ignored the mayor and turned to lock gazes with Barry, and said, “Barry is better suited to answer that question than I am, sir. I hold no owning interest in S.T.A.R. Labs. I am merely an investor with a token seat on the board. I’m sure he has several ideas in mind about how the Labs and the city can work together.”

In that one, heart-stopping moment, Barry forgot the concerns and suspicions about Len’s motives that were already twisting like snakes in his head. Instead, he took courage from Len’s faith in him, and his own sense of self-worth took over. In that one, heart-stopping moment, he accepted his role in Len’s plan no matter what his motives may be and simply followed him.

In the time it took him to blink twice, Barry was ready to bargain with the mayor. He turned to the dour-faced older man and said, “For starters, we are on a very tight schedule to get construction done in order to open the doors. It would be very helpful if there was a way to expedite the red tape.”

He glanced at Cecile and Captain Singh to make sure he hadn’t crossed a line, and was relieved to see only interest and speculation in their expressions. Cecile tapped a long, red fingernail against the tablecloth and said, “Legally, the mayor would have to approach the city council and have them vote on allowing _all_ applicants to pay a fee in order to have their requests pushed to the front of the line. As long as it was an equal opportunity program, I see no legal reason why it couldn’t be done.”

Captain Singh nodded his head and added, “I see no reason to object to that.”

Len took a drink of his coffee and sighed lightly, “Mayor? Isn’t there a city council meeting next Tuesday evening?”

By this time, Mayor Bellows was visibly sweating in his excitement. “Yes! But can we have it ready in time to submit for a vote?”

Barry almost wished he had bowl of popcorn to eat while he watched the police captain, district attorney, and mayor of the city fall all over themselves to accommodate his plans. Both Singh and Cecile volunteered to draft the motion, and the mayor eagerly volunteered to present it the next Tuesday night. It was a heady rush of power to know that he could make these powerful people do his bidding, but it left a bad taste in his mouth like battery acid.

Still, Barry straightened his spine and took control back of the conversation. “As Len suggested, the Labs are very interested in forming a working partnership with local law enforcement. Unfortunately, the type of work we do is very costly in both man hours and materials. I would like to suggest that S.T.A.R. Labs operate as independent contractors.” He paused to dig his wallet out of his back pocket and fished out one of Kimi’s expensive business cards she insisted Barry carry on him at all times. He slid it across the table to the mayor, and added, “This is the name of my lawyer, and she will be in touch with your office very soon with an offer.”

Cecile surprised Barry with a deep chuckle. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun. Barry, you know my office is going to have to represent the city on this, right?”

Barry flashed her a quick grin and quipped, “I’m counting on it, Cecile. Just promise to send me video footage of your meetings.”

Barry grinned as everyone chuckled and good humor returned to the atmosphere around the table. The rest of the long lunch time was spent expounding on his plans with Singh and Cecile while Len pulled the mayor off to the side for a personal chat. Barry ignored the nagging voice in his head that reminded him that Len knew it was election year, and he was in the position to contribute heavily to the mayor’s campaign. He ruthlessly squashed his doubts about Len’s motives, and decided to talk to two people he both liked and respected. Let Len handle the mayor. He was more suited to the task.

At close to 3 pm, everyone stood to their feet and began to shake hands and promise to meet again soon. As Len shut the sliding door behind the retreating authority figures, Barry buttoned his suit coat closed and regarded his lover carefully. “Well, that was something, huh?” Barry offered noncommittally.

Len shoved his hands in his pants pockets and strolled over to Barry until they were a mere foot of space apart. “Yes, Scarlet. You were definitely something back there.”

Barry fought his instinct to both take a step back and to step into his arms as he replied with false lightness, “I wasn’t talking about me, Len. I was talking about you.”

Len lips quirked with amusement and he tilted his head to the side. “How do you mean, Barry? I always want you to tell me exactly how you feel.”

Barry steeled his spine and said, “Tell me you didn’t have this all planned out from the start, and I’ll believe you. Tell me that you aren’t using me to make a profit off of Central City, and I will accept it as truth. Because I have to tell you, Len, from where I’m standing right now, it kinda feels that way to me.”

Len nodded his head thoughtfully as he replied, “I know it does, Scarlet, and I’m sorry for that. Maybe if I had fully explained my plan to you beforehand, you would have been able to see where I’m coming from. I apologize for that lack of faith and trust in you, Barry, and I’m going to remedy that by explaining it to you right now.”

Barry’s mouth felt like sawdust and his throat was dry when he swallowed. “Okay,” he croaked, cleared his throat, and finished a stronger note, “Explain it to me.”

The tension between their two bodies was almost tangible as Barry’s body fought his mind in order to reach out and touch him, but Barry held firm as Len said, “If by ‘the start’ you mean the four days we spent together in that rent house, then no. I did not have any of this planned at all. I didn’t plan on you saving my life. I didn’t plan on falling into bed with you. And I definitely didn’t plan on spending three hellish months without you. But once I saw you on my bed, cuffed and crusted in dried blood, in that warehouse in Coast City, I began to plan. Because at that point, I knew I could never let you go again.”

Barry blinked back the sting of tears in his eyes and he nodded wordlessly for Len to continue, and he did. “If I were going to keep you, then there were certain obstacles that stood in the way, and I planned for each of them. Some of them turned out better than others, but now I feel like it’s on the right track. As for using any part of you and your life to make a profit, I can honestly answer yes, because I’m not making the profit for me anymore, Scarlet. I’m making it for you.”

Barry furrowed his brow and shook his head to clear it. “I don’t understand, Len. I won’t need your money once the Labs starts generating income. In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t really require much. I don’t drive a car, I wear the same clothes every day, and the only thing I splurge on is shoes, and that’s mostly a necessity. Why do you think I need any of this? The only thing I need from you is _you_.”

Len’s jaw muscled clenched and released a few times before he finally replied, “I wish that was the way the world worked, Scarlet. Really I do, but in the real world, it takes money to do anything, and if I can take away even that one burden off your shoulders, then I feel like I’ve contributed to this relationship. It’s not just about money, either. It’s about providing a safety net for you as big as this city. If shit goes bad and you need help, there will be an entire network of people in this city from dock workers all the way up to the mayor who will bend over backwards to help you. As long as I have breath in my body, I will never stop trying to find ways to keep you safe.”

The tightly coiled ball of emotion sitting on his chest finally unwound and those stupid, hateful tears began to track down his cheeks as he blurted, “It’s not _me_ that needs to be kept safe, Len! You don’t get it, because I never told you what I saw when the Speed Force sucked me into the future. I watched you get killed by Savitar right in front of my eyes, and if I don’t figure out how to stop it from happening, I’m going to have to watch it all over again.” Barry buried his face in his hands and sobbed with ugly, heaving breaths, “I can’t do it again, Len. Please don’t fucking leave me. What if I can’t save you? What if I can’t change the future? I just…can’t.”

Barry felt Len’s strong arms wrap around him and pull him in tight, and he could barely hear Len’s shushing noises over the sounds of his own grief. “I know, Barry, but I am so fucking happy you trusted me enough to tell me. We will do everything we can to keep that future from happening, but even if it does, you can and you will go on. Your own conscience won’t let you do anything less, because your very soul cries out to help others. If the worst happens, you have to promise me that you will keep running, Scarlet. Never stop fighting for what you believe in, and never stop running toward danger instead of away from it.”

Barry cried harder against Len’s neck, and the puzzle pieces clicked into place. That strange device that he had seen Len hide in the desk was how Len knew about his death in the future. The details would matter to him later, but for now, the only thing that mattered was being in Len’s arms. “I-I promise, Len, but it’s not going to happen. I will find a way to save you. I will run to the pearly gates themselves to retrieve your soul if I have to.”

Len chuckled gently and nuzzled his nose into Barry’s hair. “ _We_ will find a way to save me, Barry. We're a team now. But, if all our efforts fail, I’m afraid you’ll have to run a little further south than the pearly gates, Scarlet. I’m not exactly a saint.”

Barry pulled back and cupped Len’s cheek in his palm. He knew he probably looked like shit with puffy red eyes, dripping nose, and leaking eyes, but he didn’t care. Len loved him, and Barry loved Len, and they were a team. “No, Len. You are definitely no saint, but you are a good man. You’re my good man, and five more months isn’t nearly long enough for me. We can figure this all out. Together this time.”

Len leaned in slowly to kiss and sip at the tears that dripped from Barry’s lips and breathed, “Together _through_ time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Say it with me: AWWWW! POOR BARRY! 
> 
> He'll be just fine. He's banging a hot billionaire criminal mastermind. Don't feel sorry for him! Just kidding. I love my Barry.
> 
> Okay, I will try to have another chapter soon, but I can't make any promises. I'm heading on the road to visit my family and my bestie (who shall remain nameless because the government doesn't need to know her business), so I won't have a lot alone time with my laptop this weekend. No fears, though! I've got a few more surprises before I wrap up this part and begin the fifth and final part!**


	10. LEN'S POV: KARMA IS A BITCH

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I had a great weekend off visiting with my family and bestie, and came back fully refreshed and ready to keep going! Here's a little bit of Len's POV to keep you going. Also, I apologize in advance for any butchering I did of the Spanish language. I did the best I could with what I remember from my four and half years of Spanish class, Google Translate , and an old friend teaching me how to curse in Spanish. Feel free to correct me, because I always love to learn!**

_ 4:30 pm, New Year’s Eve _

 

After lunch with Barry, the mayor, the district attorney, and the police captain, Len felt much better about things in general, and Barry’s future in particular. It helped that Len had the upper hand from the get go; he knew everything about his lunch guests while they knew next to nothing about him. He had known just how to play that entire conversation, and the only unknown quantity had been Barry. Of course, Len knew that Barry was extremely intelligent and an accomplished scientist, but his Scarlet still had much to learn about dealing with people. But Len’s faith in Barry’s capabilities paid off today. Apparently, Kimi Sato was already more than earning her salary by anticipating everything Barry would need in order to be protected legally, and that thrilled Len to no end.

After lunch concluded late that afternoon, Barry had cleaned himself up and raced off to have New Year’s Eve dinner with the West family. Len had begged off going this time, but not because he had any aversion to them. Quite the contrary, in fact. Len was fascinated by their family dynamic, because it was so vastly different from his own upbringing. Len’s mother had died of breast cancer when he was 12 years old, and as much as he had loved her, he could objectively acknowledge that she had never been all that warm and cuddly. So, observing the Wests interact with each other and with Barry never failed to confound and amaze him. It was a lot like watching The Cosby Show, his favorite TV program growing up. It didn’t seem quite real to Len no matter how much he watched it, and yet, the Wests still pulled through for each other no matter what. It was important for Barry to have that family connection in his life, especially if Len were going to die at the hands of Savitar in five months.

Honestly, when he had listened to that recording of Barry telling Jay Garrick that he saw Savitar kill Len, he hadn’t even been surprised. Len had known from the beginning of his affair with Barry that it would never be able to last for long, because being with Barry felt too good and too right. Len was an old pro at being Karma’s bitch, and there was no way that crusty old hag would ever allow Len to experience such a gift as his Scarlet without demanding something equally as terrible in order to balance the scales. Len should have guessed it would end up costing him his life, but he had been so sure that he would wind up somehow fucking up so terribly that Barry would end up hating him and Len would be back behind bars for good. How short-sighted and unimaginative of him not to have guessed what Karma truly had in store for him, but he understood it all perfectly now. Karma wasn’t out for Len this time. The bitch was after Barry.

While it was true that Len didn’t believe in gods in the sense of any righteous and caring deity, he did believe in cosmic balance. During his time with the Lengends, Len had had become a true believer in _time_. He liked to think of time itself as a giant, omniscient spider (named Karma, of course) guarding the strings of her web, and any time an insect caused a disturbance in the time line, she would swoop in, wrap you up in her silks, and drain you dry before restoring her web to its former pristine state. Karma always caught up to her prey, even the fastest man alive. Barry was already paying for creating Flashpoint, but now he was going to pay to saving Len’s life at the Oculus. Karma always restored her web, and Barry had snatched Len from her very jaws. Now, she was going to punish Barry and taunt him with her plans before swooping in to claim her rightful prize. Len had no doubt that he would die just as Barry had witnessed it, because he had seen it happen too many other times during his stint with Time Master Rip Hunter. Time always found a way to restore itself. Always.

Len had never been afraid to face death, so dying was no punishment for Len. No, the one who would suffer would be Barry, and that was completely unacceptable to Len. He never wanted to be the cause of his Scarlet’s pain ever again, and yet, here he was doing it from the fucking future. It was a plan so diabolical in depth that Len himself hadn’t even seen it coming. Even though Len fully expected the time line to restore itself through his death, that didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to fight it. That was where Karma had made her fatal mistake. In taunting Barry with his glimpse of the future, Karma had also given Len his own time line. Five months of planning and preparing wasn’t optimal for Len, but he would make damn sure every second of it counted.

 _Karma, you fucking bitch,_ Len thought to himself grimly as Tony pulled the SUV into the parking lot of S.T.A.R. Labs. He slipped Tony a hefty tip and told him to keep the vehicle idling at the front doors. He had very little time to waste, and he didn’t particularly want to spend too much of it with his intended audience. Using the access key that Barry had given him, Len let himself into the building and made his way to the main lab. As he strolled through the big building, his mind acted like a graphic designer by supplying mental images of the renovations. In his mind’s eye, he could even see the life-size graphic of The Flash pointing the way to the gift shop. Len could feel it in his very bones that S.T.A.R. Labs was going to be a huge hit.

As Len entered the lair of his prey, he tugged his winter gloves off and stuffed them in the pockets of his his wool overcoat. He sighed heavily and glared at the back of Cisco’s head. Since the Labs were covered in security cameras, the little shit had to know that Len had come there only to see him. That meant that Cisco was deliberately ignoring Len’s presence, and that made Len’s trigger finger twitch.

Len took a deep, calming breath and reminded himself to be patient. It was all about the long game now. “I almost didn’t believe Lisa when she told me that you were working at the lab today. She sounded quite put out with you, Cisco. She seems to believe that the two of you have plans for New Year’s Eve.”

Cisco snorted, but still didn’t take his attention away from the piece of machinery he was tinkering with. “What’s it to you, Snart? You here to threaten me over your sister or something? Just get it over with. I’m busy here.”

Len strolled casually over and peeked over the young man’s shoulder, but he had no idea what the mess of parts and wires were supposed to be that Cisco was working so doggedly on. “No, actually I’m here on business. I want to hire you. I need to commission a new heat gun for Mick.”

A harsh bark of laughter erupted from Cisco’s throat, and he spun on his stool to face Len. Crossing his arms over his chest, Cisco retorted, “Why would I do anything for you, Snart? What, you think just because you’re banging my best friend that we should all be one big happy family now?” The scathing look Cisco trailed up and down Len’s body left little to the imagination on how Cisco felt about him. “Do you seriously think for one second that I could ever forget what you and Mick Rory did to me? You kidnapped me, forced me to make your weapons, and tortured and threatened to kill my brother if I didn’t betray my best friend by revealing his secret identity. I’m not doing shit for you, Snart. _Chingate, cabrón.”_

Len blinked slowly before replying drily, “¿ _Besas a tu madre con esa boca?_ ” He barely paused to relish the surprised look on Cisco’s face before continuing on in English. “Look, Cisco, I get it. We will never braid each other’s hair or have an epic bromance. I’m shockingly okay with that, believe me. However, as long as I am with Barry and you are with my sister, we will have to learn how to get along with each other. If it will help soothe your ruffled feathers, then please allow me to sincerely apologize for all the terrible things I put you through. Now that we’ve gotten all that off our chests, can we move on?”

Cisco huffed an aggrieved breath and rolled his eyes. “Whatever, man. Why does Mick need a new heat gun anyway? It seemed to be working just fine a few weeks ago when we battled the Dominators.”

Len smiled to himself and answered, “No, it’s still working just as good as it always has, but I owe him a debt, and this was his price. The only thing I need to know now is what is yours?”

Cisco snorted and replied flippantly, “Two million dollars.”

“Done,” Len replied firmly. He dug a piece of notepaper out of the inside pocket of his wool coat and tossed it on the desk next to the young man’s elbow. He ignored Cisco’s gaping fish mouth and explained, “That is the list of required upgrades. Feel free to add any of your own if inspiration strikes.”

Cisco’s mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally sputtered, “You’re really going to pay me two million dollars to build a new heat gun? Seriously?”

Len sighed heavily and reminded himself to have patience. What was it with these millennial metahumans and their lack of ambition and ability to think ahead? Hell, if Len had been granted Cisco’s talents and powers at that age, he would have been ruling the world instead of just two small cities by this time. “Yes, Cisco. Seriously. But, since you didn’t take the time to ask questions or negotiate terms, then that means I get to set them. That dollar figure you so callously tossed out there will be your entire budget. That means all parts and labor, even if you have to subcontract some of the work. Not a dime of it will be provided by the Labs, and its construction can only be performed after regular working hours. I demand the completed item to be delivered to me within 30 days’ time.” Len paused for effect and added, “Next time, stop and think before you throw your talents away, Cisco. I would suggest you spend a few hours with the Lab’s lawyer, Kimi Sato. She can help you draw up an iron-clad contract that will protect you legally from the misuse of any weapons you design in the future.”

Len took a moment to enjoy the thunderstruck look on Cisco’s face. He had to give it to the kid, though. Cisco bounced back fast. “I don’t plan to design weapons for profit, Len. If I do this, it will be a one-off deal, and only because Mick is with the Legends now. I’m not in the business of creating tech that takes lives instead of saving them.”

Len wished he could reach out and choke the naïve little shit, but that would upset Barry, so he stuffed his hands in his pocket to avoid temptation. “You’re a smart young man, Cisco, so use your brain. No matter how much you try to help the city, they will forget everything you’ve done for them the first time they need a handy scapegoat. What happens if one of your inventions malfunctions or fails and people die? What happens if one of the bad guys gets their hands on your technology and uses them to rob museums and banks?” Len paused to bestow one of his trademarked shit-eating grins and blinked innocently. “Do you realize you could have been convicted of negligent homicide for every casualty that occurred because of those three guns?”

Cisco’s face turned a dusky red as his temper climbed. “Those guns were built under threat of death. They wouldn’t have been able to charge me with shit, but you? One phone call and your ass will be rotting in Iron Heights for every fucked up thing you’ve ever done.”

Len’s icy persona cracked and the first flare of irritation manifested in his voice. “Cisco, I am trying to _help_ you, yet all you seem intent on doing is setting fire to everything around you.” Len stopped, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. After exhaling slowly, he continued, “You don’t have to like me, because the feeling is more than mutual. But you are important to Barry, so that means I will use all my considerable resources to ensure that you become as powerful and influential as you are meant to be. All you have to do is swear your loyalty and support to him, and I can show you how to maximize your potential in business, finance, and even romance. I’m am offering to help you, Cisco. Don’t bite the hand that wishes to feed you, or you may just find that hand around your throat.”

Cisco studied him carefully, and Len could read the struggle on the young man’s face. He had no idea what his sister and Caitlin both found so appealing about the hot-headed kid, but to each his own. Cisco finally said, “So, you’re offering to…what? Mentor me? And the only thing you’re getting out of the deal is a promise to keep being Barry’s friend? Sorry, Snart, but I don’t buy it. There’s got to be something else in it for you.”

That was just the opening Len had been patiently waiting for. Len extended his hand, and drawled, “If you don’t believe me, then see for yourself. Put those glasses on and I have a feeling you will begin to understand.”

Cisco began to smile and he picked up the souped-up dark glasses and put them over his eyes. “You’re going to let me vibe you? Hell, yeah. I’d love to know what you’ve been up to.” Cisco almost clasped palms, but he paused to add, “And if I see you and Barry doing the nasty, I’m going to be pissed.”

Without waiting for Len to reply, Cisco’s hand grasped Len’s a firm handshake. Almost immediately, the young man stiffened and Len sucked in a surprised gasp as strong vibrations traveled up his arm to resound throughout his entire body. Even though it felt like his brain was full of buzzing bees, Len closed his eyes and concentrated with all his focus on himself and Barry and Savitar five months in the future. He didn’t know if it would work to help direct Cisco’s vibe, but it definitely couldn’t hurt. Len could feel the hairs all over his body stand on end from the power of Cisco’s gift flowing through him, and it felt like he was attached by glue to a giant plasma globe.

It felt like an eternity, but was closer to two minutes later, when Cisco pulled his hand away and stumbled backward. The young man’s hands shook as he reached up to pull the black glasses from his wide eyes, and his caramel-toned skin was chalky with shock. Len watched Cisco swallow convulsively and he knew without a doubt that Cisco had seen it happen for himself.

Len’s voice was calm and detached when he said, “Now you begin to understand me. In a few months’ time, Savitar will be back and he will kill me in front of Barry. You will have a powerful speed god bent on destroying you all for imprisoning him in the future, and The Flash will be emotionally compromised because of my death. Now, stop and imagine for just one moment that I care about Barry even more than he does for me. If you were in my shoes, Cisco, what wouldn’t you do to protect him?”

Cisco’s dark chocolate eyes met Len’s for the first time without hostility. Instead, Len read determination, solidarity, and purpose in the young genius’ gaze. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to protect someone I love, and that includes Barry. If we can agree on nothing else, we will always have that in common. I assume you have a plan?”

The pacing beast of fire deep in Len’s soul screamed with fierce victory. This was exactly the reaction he wanted from Cisco. Len may not care for the kid personally, but he was not blind to the kind of man Cisco could be should he so choose it. There was a core of steel at the very heart of Cisco, and if he could just learn to think with his head instead of his heart, he would be a formidable and powerful man. Len only had five months to lay the foundations, but it would have to be enough to guide the young man in the right direction.

Len’s lips curled in a secret smile and he replied lightly, “I always do. Hence, the other reason I am here. I have addressed your issues with business and finance, and I was serious about seeking advice from Kimi Sato. Even Cecile Horton holds her in high regard, and she will advise you on the best way to protect yourself legally while profiting professionally. That only leaves the romantic portion of your life.”

Cisco snorted and shook his head. “Oh, no. Uh-uh. I am not talking about my sex life with my girlfriend’s big brother. I am not that stupid.”

Len pulled his gloves out of his pocket and pulled them on to signal that he was ready to leave. “Believe me, Cisco, the last thing I want to do is even think about what you and my baby sister do together. No, this has more to do with Caitlin. I understand from Lisa that she has invited the two of you to her home to ring in the New Year. Is that correct?”

Cisco’s cheeks flushed once more, and a scowl turned down the corners of his mouth. “I have really got to have a talk with Lisa about boundaries,” he muttered before his voice grew stronger to add, “Yes, we’re supposed to go there tonight. What about it?”

Len’s tone was cold and factual as he replied, “Plan ahead. You know how this evening will very likely turn out, so make sure you are going in with a plan. That means doing research, purchasing supplies, and being prepared. Caitlin is in a very precarious place right now, and if you screw up because you didn’t think it through, it could very well set her back in her recovery. Barry needs both of you when the time comes, and it is imperative that Caitlin be ready and in full control of her powers within five months. The two of you are Barry’s armor and shield, so you need to be very confident when you walk in that door tonight. Do you understand me?”

Cisco continued to flush as he fidgeted and his eyes darted around the room. “ _Dios m_ _ío, no puedo creerlo._ I understand that you are embarrassing the fuck out of me right now, and that’s about it.”

Len turned and began to make his way back to the door. When he reached it, he turned to give Cisco a pitying look. “There is no time left for embarrassment, Cisco. There is only time for truth, so here it is. Before you arrive tonight, you need to be completely prepared to have a threesome with two of the most powerful and beautiful women I have ever met. That means doing extensive research online about what will be expected and what may occur, and I don’t mean watching rehearsed videos on PornHub. You need to make sure you have condoms and lubricant, but most importantly, you need to use those cuffs on Caitlin. Just be very careful, because while those cuffs will cut off her access to the ice, it will not stop Frost from trying to take over. You must not allow Caitlin to hide behind Her. You will need to be in control at all times. Allow Lisa to help you. She has worked with Caitlin very closely for the past three weeks, and they have formed a very tight bond. Trust her instincts.” Len pulled his cuff back to glance at his watch before adding, “You have less than three hours. I suggest you get started.” He turned to go, but paused to call over his shoulder, “My accountant will transfer 50% of the funds up front for the new heat gun, and the remained will be paid upon receipt of the goods. You have thirty days, Cisco. Tick, tock. You’re now on my clock.”

Without waiting for a reply from the stunned young man, Len pivoted on his heel and walked back the way he arrived. As he made his way back toward the idling vehicle, he pulled his phone out and typed out a quick text message to Lisa to let her know that the plan for the night was a go. He trusted his baby sister to make sure the two nerdy lovebirds didn’t end up destroying each other before the big finish. If the three of them were able to successfully navigate such a relationship, then it would only benefit his Scarlet. Because without Len there to protect and help him in the future, Barry would need all the help he could get, and that included his lethal, slightly unbalanced little sister.

Tony held the car door open and Len slid inside. His phone buzzed to let him know that Lisa had sent her reply, but Len didn’t bother reading it. As usual, it was likely a strange mixture of nonsense emoticons, curse words, and oversharing of details. Instead, he retreated inside his mind to view the ever-shifting imaginary blueprints of the future that he used to plot his next moves. Everything appeared to be moving in the right direction according to Len’s plan, so now it was time to focus on the next phase. This would be the hardest part yet to pull off, and it may well prove impossible, but he had to try. He had no choice, because now it was literally life or death on the line, and it wasn’t his death that had him concerned.

No, Len was concerned about life and how to make sure that Barry kept on living it after Len was gone. For that to happen, his Scarlet would need a strong, decisive person there to keep him going by force, if necessary. There was only one person Len could think of that he trusted enough with the difficult task of keeping Barry alive after Len was gone, and this person wasn’t exactly one of Len’s biggest fans. However, this person was disciplined, deadly, focused, and a natural leader, yet exercised restraint, compassion, and loyalty to all those he called friend. There was only one other person that could help guide and direct  Team Flash, and Barry in particular, in Len’s absence. And that person was Oliver Queen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **BUM BUM BUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMM!!!! The plot thickens, my friends. I hope you enjoyed this peek into Len's conversation with Cisco. I'm back to writing again tomorrow, so you should have another chapter soon! Hugs, kisses, and love, my friends! Thanks again for your amazing feedback and support! You guys are the cheese to my crackers.**


	11. BONUS CHAPTER: THREE'S A COMPANY, BUT FOUR'S A CROWD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so this chapter was super difficult for me to write. I've never written a threesome before, and I'm not at all versed in the art of loving another woman, but I think it turned out really well. I hope you enjoy this peek into Caitlin's home for New Year's Eve!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **SUPER BIG SHOUT OUT to my awesome new friend Heisei_fangirl for reading over this chapter before I posted it to ensure I got my Spanish down correctly! I've never had a beta reader before, and you made the experience absolutely painless and amazing! GRACIAS A TI!**

Caitlin POV

_ 8 pm, New Year’s Eve Night _

__

Caitlin’s hand shook as she reached up into the cabinet to pull down three wine glasses. Her nerves were shot and her stomach somersaulted inside of her every time she thought she heard a car pass by the house. Cisco and Lisa were due to arrive any minute now, and Caitlin was so nervous that the wine glass in her hand froze solid and shattered into a thousand tiny shards of crystal. With an uncharacteristic curse, Caitlin rushed to grab the broom and dustpan and swept up the mess with haste before rushing over to the stove to check on the frozen appetizers that she had popped in the oven. It had been a struggle trying to decide what to serve her guests. What did one serve to eat when inviting over your best friend and his girlfriend for a threesome?

An anxious chuckle bubbled up from Caitlin’s throat as she dumped the shards of frozen crystal in the trash. No matter how many times she tried to convince herself that this was no big deal, that it was just Cisco and Lisa, she still panicked and began to feel Frost trying to take over. With a determined straightening of her spine, she pushed Frost back down and took a deep breath for courage. She could do this without Frost’s help. Caitlin could approach this scary new situation on her own two feet. Or off of them, as the case may soon end up being.

The doorbell chiming merrily made Caitlin jump and she made her way to the front door. She paused in the hallway to check her appearance in the decorative mirror for the millionth time. Her hair was glossy and fell about her shoulders in soft waves of platinum with brunette lowlights, her makeup was dramatic with smoky shadow around her midnight blue eyes and her lips were stained burgundy to match her form-fitting cocktail dress that tied around her neck to leave her cleavage, shoulders, and arms on display. The hem of the dress was ruffled and uneven, with the left side ending mid-thigh and the right side stopping at her knee. Her shoes were black, peep-toed evening sandals that allowed a glimpse of her dark red toenails that matched the polish on her manicured fingernails. Her skin glowed pale under the soft lighting, and it had been waxed smooth from her ankles all the way up to include her entire private parts. It had not been a pleasant experience to suffer through that part of the spa package that Lisa had given her for Christmas, but Caitlin couldn’t argue with the results. She felt purely feminine, alluring, and sexy, and she felt her confidence return as she made her way to the door to welcome her guests.

When Caitlin opened the front door, Lisa Snart stood proudly in the door hefting a bottle of champagne in each hand. Thick, blindingly white snow fell softly onto Lisa’s snowbunny parka, but that didn’t dampen her spirits in the least. “Caity!” Lisa squealed with delight before she pulled Caitlin into her body for a firm hug. “We picked up some bubbly to celebrate. I can’t wait to sip some of it from your bellybutton,” Lisa cooed into her ear.

Caitlin could hear the two bottles clinking together behind her back as she returned Lisa’s enthusiastic hug with one of her own. If anyone had told Caitlin even a month ago that she would become friends with Lisa Snart, Caitlin would have had them committed. Now, though, she didn’t know what she would have done without her. Lisa had shown Caitlin how to let loose and have fun, and how to embrace life instead of hiding from it. No matter what popped up in her mind, she spoke it aloud without filter or fear. Caitlin had spent her time with Lisa during those three weeks away being embarrassed, horrified, and admittedly aroused. There was never a moment where Lisa didn’t demand the same honesty and fearlessness in expressing herself from Caitlin, and that alone had done more to help her take away Frost’s power than anything else. How could she not love Lisa for that?

“Lisa, you look simply stunning, as usual,” Caitlin assured her friend without a touch cynicism as she returned the light kiss Lisa pecked onto her lips. By now, it was almost a reflex to touch her new friend, and Caitlin decided not to question it.  

Lisa was always able to pull off the most scandalous outfits and come out looking like a femme fatale. It didn’t matter how outrageously tight, low-cut, or micro the outfit, Lisa always wore her clothes with the confidence that she was sexy as fuck. And much to Caitlin’s shock, she had found herself increasingly aware of just how sexy as fuck Lisa was. Those three weeks had been a lesson in learning how _not_ to see Lisa in some form of nakedness. The woman had no boundaries and no shame, and had pranced around in their hotel rooms in small bath towels, lingerie, nighties, or just completely nude. Caitlin had been scandalized every time it had happened for the first week, but the last two weeks were just pure appreciation on Caitlin’s part. Lisa was gorgeous with tanned, shimmery skin, thick chestnut waves, and breasts and butt that more than filled out her expensive La Perla undergarments. Lisa was a centerfold pinup girl in the flesh, and even Caitlin was not immune to her siren-like lure. Especially after that kiss in the woods…

Caitlin shook the memory away and focused on the person standing patiently on the stoop in the softly falling snow. Caitlin’s breath caught in her throat at the picture that Cisco made standing in softly lit night with tiny splashes of white dotting his tied-back hair. His dark chocolate eyes glittered with the reflection of the porch light, and he cut a dashing figure in his gray designer suit that was steadily piling up with the heavy flakes of ice. He was so handsome with his smooth, caramel skin, lush lips, and expressive eyes that were taking their time in appreciating the sight before him. Caitlin tried to swallow, and found her throat too full of dust to accomplish it. She had no words that would fit the moment, anyway.

Like the sun breaking over the horizon, Cisco’s lips split into a slow, teasing smile. “So, uh, you want to help me out with this, Cait?” he asked, his finger making a loop in the air to encompass his snow-covered state.

Caitlin snapped out of her infatuated stupor and chuckled as she watched a fat flake land on his nose before melting away to water. Without really thinking about it, Caitlin waved her hand in the air and then curled her fingers to call the snow to her. Like magnets, the snow and ice rushed towards her until it was formed in a large ball hovering over her open palm. She bit her lip on a smile before saying, “You know, I would totally kick your ass in a snowball fight now.”

Cisco stepped into the doorway, bringing their bodies into contact, and leaned in to feather a light kiss across her parted lips. “Caitlin, you’ve always been able to kick my ass in anything. Ice or no ice, it doesn’t matter.” His chest raked across her braless breasts with just enough friction to bring her nipples to hard points that were obscenely obvious through the gauzy material of her dress.

Caitlin blew the large snowball back out into the night and took her time closing the door behind them. She needed a moment to compose herself, because it had been less than two minutes in their combined company, and Caitlin was already dangerously at risk of losing her control over Frost. Something about Lisa and Cisco flipped a switch somewhere deep inside Caitlin’s body and released riptides of overwhelming passion, crippling desire, and a frightening yearning that triggered Caitlin’s instincts to hide from the intensity of it all. That instinct to flee from strong emotion was the open doorway for Frost to blow through, and Caitlin had to concentrate with all her might to push Her back so that she would remain in control. Caitlin really needed those cuffs, and quickly, but her good manners refused to allow her to ask about them.

Cisco was taking Lisa’s coat from her shoulders and adding it with his leather jacket to the hall closet just as he had done for over four years now. The action was both comforting in its familiarity and jarring in its newness, because this was the first time that Cisco was coming to her home as a lover, and not just as a friend.

Caitlin cleared her throat nervously and announced, “I’ll, uh, just go put that champagne on ice. You two make yourselves comfortable.”

Without waiting for a reply, she snatched the bottles from the side table where Lisa had deposited them, and escaped into the kitchen. Cisco had been to her house enough times to know where everything was, so he would be able to direct Lisa to the living room while Caitlin escaped to the kitchen. She could feel Frost pushing against the door between them, and it was so, so tempting to just give in and let her take care of all the messy emotions bombarding Caitlin from all sides. She just needed a few minutes alone to compose herself, and that was all. Caitlin could do this on her own. She didn’t need to hide from Cisco and Lisa. They both knew her better than anyone else in the multiverse. If she couldn’t feel safe and be honest with them, then Caitlin had no hope of ever claiming Frost and stitching herself back together into one, whole Caitlin Snow.

Once in the kitchen, Caitlin began to busy herself with retrieving the mini quiches from the oven, placing a bottle of the bubbly in a bucket of ice, and rearranging the three crystal wine glasses on the counter. She knew she had been in the kitchen too long after fifteen minutes of meaningless activity, but she couldn’t seem to make her feet move toward the living room. Bracing her arms on the counter, Caitlin lowered her head and took a deep, cleansing breath. She had to calm down, or Frost was going to ruin everything with an untimely appearance. She closed her eyes and grappled with herself. Caitlin didn’t know why it was so difficult for her to take the first step, because she had never wanted anything in her life like she wanted Cisco and Lisa, but she still couldn’t seem to shake that instinct to freeze. If she were honest with herself, she could admit that wasn’t as nervous about being with Lisa, even though Caitlin had never slept with a woman before. No, all her nerves were wrapped up in the idea of opening herself up like that to Cisco. Every time she imagined or fantasized about Cisco’s body moving over top of hers, her stomach dropped and her heart raced and her palms grew sweaty. She wouldn’t be able to hide from him behind fake moans and pretend orgasms like she had with Ronnie. He would demand her honesty and force her to reveal her innermost desires, and the thought scared her to death.

So lost in her inner battle was she that Caitlin didn’t even hear someone enter the room. Her body jerked with shock when a wave of heat washed over her as Cisco stepped into her body to lightly cage her in from behind. His arms wound around Caitlin’s narrow waist, and his chin rested on her shoulder as he pulled her in tight to his chest and hips. He nuzzled his nose into the hair at her nape and his breath against her neck sent goosebumps chasing across her skin. Cisco’s voice was rough and gravelly when said, “You’ve been in here for a while, Cait. I haven’t heard any alarms, but I wanted to check on you.”

Caitlin’s hands shook from where her fingers still clung to the edge of the countertop as if she were drowning and the granite was her lifeline. She was afraid to let go, because her control over the ice was still too tenuous to trust, and she never wanted to hurt Cisco again. Even now, a thin sheet of frost was spreading slowly across the surface of the granite counter from each fingertip. Her voice shook when she replied, “I-I took the inhibitor out two days ago. My vitals had remained steady for four solid days, so I removed it. It’s been…difficult to manage without it, but I’m stronger than Her now. I can do it, Cisco.”

Cisco hummed in her ear as he retrieved his left arm in order to burrow his hand into the thick hair at her nape. His work-calloused thumb stroked softly over the sensitive skin where the inhibitor had been buried in her flesh, and a shiver of desire pulsed through her veins to send molten heat spreading throughout her core. She pressed herself in closer against Cisco’s body until she felt the hard proof of his desire against the rounded curve of her ass.

His fingers tightened briefly against her scalp, and a needy moan slipped from between her lips as he whispered raggedly, “I know you can, Caitlin, but we still have to be careful.” His fingers slipped from her hair and from around her waist, and Caitlin whined at their loss. Within seconds, his arms were back as he pressed her belly into the unyielding granite. His hands traveled slowly down the undersides of her toned, pale arms, and Caitlin could see the soft blue glow emanating from the cuffs that dangled from each hand. Her heartbeat pounded in her throat as Cisco reached her narrow wrists. As he slowly began to close them on each side, Frost snarled with fury deep inside her, but Caitlin ignored it. She didn’t want to miss a single moment of Cisco’s hands on her body or his hard cock pressed along the crease of her ass. Before he snapped the bracelets closed on each wrist, he rumbled, “Say the word, Cait, and all this stops. We can find another way around the ice if you don’t want this.”

Caitlin closed her eyes and tipped her head to the side to give more room to Cisco’s questing lips. Each touch of his mouth, rasp of his stubble, and swipe of his tongue sent shockwaves of heat coursing through her blood until she felt like she would melt into a puddle at his feet. With her eyes closed and her voice raspy with desire, she said, “Do it, Cisco. I want to touch you, and I don’t trust myself not to hurt you again.”

Cisco snapped the cuffs closed around each wrist with a sharp _snick_ and Caitlin sucked in a breath at the sensation of being cut off from the ice for the first time in months. Cisco wasted no time in spinning her around in his arms so they were face-to-face for the first time. His hand cupped her cheek and his dark, soulful eyes searched hers for long moments before he whispered, “It feels like I’ve been waiting forever to do this.” And he leaned in to press his lips to hers.

Cisco’s soft, full lips were just as hot and delicious as she remembered, and Caitlin could feel Frost begin to stir inside of her as he traced the seam of her lips with his tongue. Her hands trailed up his chest and she gripped the material of his dress shirt as she pulled him in as she sank further into his kiss. This time, though, Cisco was the one in charge as he delved into the depths of her mouth to explore and claim each corner for himself. Caitlin was lost beneath his ardor, and gloried in her friend’s fiery passion that warmed her down to her toes.

Cisco finally pulled back enough to rest his forehead against hers. Their breaths mingled and traded space between them as they both fought to get their heartrates under control. Even though her eyes were closed, Caitlin wasn’t surprised to feel Lisa’s arms snake around Cisco’s waist as she plastered herself along his back in order to join the embrace. Something about the three of them together like this felt so right to Caitlin that all her doubts and fears melted away, and Frost grew quiet once more. At least for the moment.

“Who needs champagne when we can just go straight to bed?” Lisa purred into Cisco’s ear before taking his earlobe between her teeth for a sharp nip. “Forget your quiches and hostess duties, Caity. Let us show you how good we can be together.”

Caitlin’s stomach somersaulted and flipped inside of her, but she nodded and allowed Cisco to take her hand and lead her down the hallway toward her bedroom with Lisa trailing behind them, but when they reached Caitlin’s bedroom, Lisa took the lead. She tugged Caitlin from Cisco’s hold and drew her toward her before pivoting to give Caitlin her back. “Unzip me, would you, Caity dear?” Lisa asked coyly as she pulled her thick chestnut waves over her shoulder.

Caitlin stepped up behind Lisa and allowed her fingertips to trace over the edge of Lisa’s sparkling black dress. Caitlin knew from previous experience that the dress hid a large, brightly-colored tattoo of a red rose with a vine of thorns. Caitlin’s fingers twitched with the urge to touch the vivid ink, and her hand shook as she lowered the zipper until the black material of Lisa’s dress slid unencumbered down her arms. Caitlin pushed the material past Lisa’s wide hips and the dress made a whispery noise as it puddled on the floor around her bare feet. Caitlin couldn’t resist the urge to touch her friend’s soft, vanilla-scented skin, and she traced each loop of the thorny vine and brushed her thumb across a dark, blood red petal until Lisa’s breath caught in her throat and her skin broke out in goosebumps beneath Caitlin’s light touch.

This time, Caitlin wasn’t so far gone that she didn’t notice Cisco step in behind her. His hands wrapped around Caitlin’s hip bones and he lowered his head until he was able to run the tip of nose up between her shoulder blades as he paused to kiss and suck small patches of her skin until he reached the arch of her neck. “ _Te deseo, mi querida. Esta noche eres mía,_ ” Cisco whispered in her ear as his hands trailed up over her fluttering stomach and further up to cup and palm her sensitive breasts in his hands through her dress.

Caitlin only had a rudimentary understanding of Spanish, but she understood enough to know that Cisco was laying claim to her. Lisa turned to face Caitlin and her hands trailed over Caitlin’s bare shoulders until her fingers encountered the ties of Caitlin’s dress. Her fingers plucked them apart, and she leaned over her shoulder to press her lips to Cisco’s for a brief, heated kiss before she replied huskily, “No, my darling. Tonight, she is _ours_.”

Caitlin gasped as her dress slithered down her chest to leave her breasts bare to Lisa’s ravenous gaze and Cisco’s questing fingertips. She shivered between them, but not with cold. Never with cold. She was nervous and excited, scared and full of longing. The roiling tide of emotions allowed Frost to begin to rise up within her, and Caitlin knew the only way to take away her power was by speaking the truth. She sagged against Cisco’s chest and pulled Lisa in tight to the front of her body until the red lacy material of Lisa’s bra abraded Caitlin’s puckered nipples.

As Lisa hummed with pleasure into Caitlin’s ear, Caitlin whispered raggedly, “I don’t know what to do. I-I’ve never done anything like this before, and I’m afraid of doing it wrong.”

Cisco’s hands were like firebrands against the naked flesh of Caitlin’s waist as he pushed her dress the rest of the way past her hips until it joined Lisa’s on the floor. “Don’t worry, _belleza_. Let us take care of you tonight.”

“Yes, my sweet little Caity bug,” Lisa assured her with a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. “Just follow my lead and I’ll show you how to ask for what you want.”

Caitlin swallowed past the ball of nerves clogging her throat as Lisa drew her by the hand over to the bed. Lisa tossed a flirty wink over her shoulder at Cisco and directed, “You get comfortable in that chair by the bed and enjoy the show, lover. I’m going to warm her up for you.”

Caitlin’s cheeks flamed with embarrassment, but Cisco just tipped his head in acknowledgment with a half-smile as he shed his gray dress coat and tossed it across the back of the chair. Even as Lisa directed Caitlin to lie down in the middle of the bed, she couldn’t take her eyes off of Cisco as he unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled them up before popping the top two buttons free at the throat. He seemed so confident and in control while Caitlin felt herself spiraling out of control. Cisco relaxed back into the cushioned depths of the wingback chair and spread his legs wide as he settled in for the show. She could so easily drown in the molten, chocolatey depths of Cisco’s eyes as he watched Lisa pop the tabs on her bra free and shimmied her thongs down the bronzed skin of her legs until she stood naked and unashamed before them both.

“ _Dale, mami,_ ” Cisco grinned at Lisa when she bent over seductively in front of him before crawling on the bed to stalk over top of Caitlin.

Caitlin’s eyes tracked back to Lisa’s pale blue ones as she loomed over top of Caitlin’s body. Her friend’s expression was full of anticipation and hunger as she straddled Caitlin’s hips and lowered her lips to feather a light kiss across Caitlin’s lips. “Tonight, my gorgeous ice goddess, I am going to show you what it’s like to get exactly what you ask for.”

Caitlin’s eyes widened before they sank closed with Lisa’s kiss. Kissing Lisa was familiar, yet so very different from anyone else. Lisa treated Caitlin’s mouth like a gourmet bonbon as she savored each lick of Caitlin’s lips before darting inside her mouth to steal a taste as she hummed with pleasure. Caitlin didn’t even notice the weight of the cuffs on her wrists as she brought her hands up to feel the silky skin of Lisa’s back and traced each muscle as it shifted beneath her fingertips. Caitlin’s senses were overwhelmed with the sheer input she received from Lisa. The feel of her full breasts pressing against her own, slightly smaller ones made Caitlin’s pulse race, and the taste of spearmint and herbal smoke on Lisa’s tongue made Caitlin’s head spin with desire. The soft, needy moans that Lisa fed into Caitlin’s mouth made her pussy swell and grow wet, and the aroma of Lisa’s vanilla shampoo combined with the musky scent of Lisa’s arousal made Caitlin arch her hips against her weight.

Caitlin was still drowning in sensation when Lisa broke away from her lips to kiss a leisurely path down the column of Caitlin’s neck and further down until she could lick and suck at the skin in the valley between Caitlin’s breasts. She arched her back and tried to twist to direct Lisa’s sinful lips to the hard peaks of her nipples, but Lisa refused to oblige her. “Lisa, don’t tease,” Caitlin whispered raggedly as she dug her fingernails into her friend’s back.

Lisa’s throaty chuckle against Caitlin’s skin made her shiver. “Oh, I’m not teasing you, Caity. I’m just waiting for you to tell me what you want.”

Caitlin slammed her eyes shut and groaned. God, Lisa was cruel. She knew that Caitlin had trouble expressing herself, but she never allowed Caitlin to hide anything. The first week they had spent together in that Canadian wilderness had almost drove Caitlin insane. She had resented Len for sending his sister to babysit her, but it hadn’t taken long to understand the method to his madness. Lisa was fearless, and Caitlin was nothing but fearfulness. Lisa had pried and pushed and forced Caitlin to talk until that fateful day that Frost had taken over and tried to kill Lisa. Even then, when faced with an angry, destructive force of nature wielding ice and snow, Lisa hadn’t backed down. She had walked right into Frost’s space and kissed Her before wrapping her hands in Her hair and jerking her to the ground to demand Caitlin take control. Lisa may be completely human, but in Caitlin’s mind, Lisa was superhuman.

Caitlin cleared her throat and whispered, “God, you are such a witch. I want you to use your mouth on my nipples. There, are you happy now?” Caitlin knew she sounded waspish, but Lisa was well used to that reaction by now.

Without hesitation, Lisa kissed a path over to a painfully hard nipple and licked over and around the tip with a light touch. “Like this?” she asked, her evil blue eyes dancing with amusement before she sucked the whole thing deep into the heated depths of her mouth to draw on it hard. Caitlin cried out and arched her back to press her breast even deeper into the infuriating woman’s mouth. Lisa released her nipple with a wet _pop_ before she added, “Or like that? You really should be specific, honey.”

Caitlin couldn’t stop herself from glancing over at where Cisco watched from his chair. His gaze caught hers in their dark, heavy-lidded trap, and something deep inside of Caitlin clenched. Cisco was no longer the laughing, carefree friend she had spent hours in the lab with while they worked. Sitting so confidently in that chair was a man with an aura of virility and power who embodied every fantasy of the smoldering Latin lover from Caitlin’s romance novels. She wanted him desperately, but no matter how hard she tried to say the words, they froze on the tip of her tongue.

Something in her expression must have spoken for her, because Cisco stood to his feet and casually strolled over to the bed to run his hand down Lisa’s back like a favored cat. “Maybe what Caitlin needs is a demonstration, _mami_.”

Lisa’s arched her ass in the air to meet Cisco’s seeking palm. She moved her attentions to Caitlin’s other breast and didn’t stop tormenting the aching bud until Caitlin was writhing beneath her. Releasing the nipple from between her front teeth, she purred, “Oh, that’s a great idea, baby.” She flashed a saucy wink to Caitlin and said, “Now it’s your turn to watch, Caity bug. Take notes.”

Before Caitlin knew what was happening, Lisa climbed off Caitlin’s body and arranged herself on her back with her ass at the end of the bed and splayed her legs open to Cisco’s heated gaze. She crooked her finger at him and purred, “Help me, baby. I need you.” She dragged her manicured hand across her softly rounded abdomen until her fingers disappeared between her legs. She moaned and opened her legs wider before retrieving her glistening fingers to reach out to her lover. “Make me come with your mouth on my pussy and your fingers buried deep inside me.”

Caitlin’s cheeks flamed at Lisa’s bold demand, but Cisco was clearly aroused if the large bulge in his dress pants was any indication. His hand darted out to snatch Lisa’s wrist and he brought Lisa’s fingers to his lips to lick them clean. Without a word, he sank to his knees on the thick, plush carpet between Lisa’s bare feet before picking her legs up to drape them over his shoulders. Lisa moaned and arched her pelvis up toward his descending mouth. Cisco didn’t hesitate to lick a stripe clear up the middle of her shiny nether lips, and Lisa mewled with pleasure as he dove in to lick and drink from her core.

Caitlin felt a wave of heat wash over her at the visual feast the two of them made before her eyes. Lisa was the embodiment of sex and sin as she cupped and squeezed her own breasts while Cisco devoured her pussy like a man starved and her nectar was manna from heaven. “Oh, God! Just like that, baby,” she encouraged him as her right hand made its way to sink into his bound hair. “Now add your fingers,” she breathed before crying out as he slid two fingers deep into her slick channel.

Caitlin couldn’t sit still. Her own body was pulsing with arrested desire, and she felt drawn to Lisa’s ecstasy like a moth to a flame. Caitlin moved until she could see everything Cisco was doing to Lisa between her legs. She reached out a hand to hover over her friend’s pert, bouncing breast, but it took Lisa capturing her gaze and commanding huskily, “Touch me, squeeze me, taste me, Caity. Anything you want in this room can be yours if you ask for it.”

Caitlin didn’t wait to for further permission. Using the tips of her painted fingernails, she traced a spiral around the heavy globe of Lisa’s breast until she reached the puckered tip. Lisa sighed and her body undulated between Cisco’s busy mouth and Caitlin’s torturous burgundy fingernails. On pure impulse, Caitlin leaned down to swipe her tongue across the hard little tip and Lisa’s gasp of pleasure urged her onward. Caitlin closed her eyes and did to Lisa what Caitlin had been too afraid to ask for herself. She suckled and nursed Lisa’s nipple before pulling back to blow cool air across the dusky rose-colored flesh before switching to the other one for the same treatment.

Even though Lisa was the one on the receiving end of two sets of mouths, Caitlin was the one who felt like she was on fire. That core of ice deep inside of her began to melt until the crotch of her thongs were soaked and her pussy swelled with need. So intent was she on learning the taste and feel of Lisa beneath her that she forgot about her inhibitions and just reveled in the grip of Lisa’s fingers in her hair, and the wet sounds of Cisco’s fingers and mouth bringing Lisa closer and closer to the edge of climax.

“Yes! God, yes! I’m so close, baby. Do that thing where you press against that spot. Please, Cisco!” Lisa cried out as her hips moved restlessly against his mouth.

Caitlin lifted her head to watch, and was surprised when Lisa snatched Caitlin’s right hand and pressed it firmly against her lower abdomen right above her pubic bone. Cisco’s eyes glittered with intensity as he held Caitlin’s gaze until a strong vibration traveled from within Lisa’s body and straight up into Caitlin’s hand where it was pressed against Lisa’s body. Lisa’s body arched and stiffened as a keening wail tore from her throat as the vibrations grew stronger and began to pulse from within her. Caitlin’s eyes widened with the realization that Cisco was using his power to bring Lisa to an earth-shattering orgasm that never seemed to end as her body shook and tremored with each crest until her voice was hoarse from her cries.

“Enough, Cisco! Please, no more!” Lisa begged, her fingers tugging insistently at her lover’s hair in order to detach him from her oversensitive pussy.

The vibrations ceased just as suddenly as they began and Caitlin snatched her hand out of Lisa’s hold against her belly. She watched as Cisco licked and sucked a few more drops of Lisa’s juices before he pulled back and carefully stood to his feet. Caitlin was mesmerized by the glistening moisture that covered his lips and chin, and the rascal actually grinned as he ran his hand down his mouth to erase the evidence of his hard work. Caitlin trembled before his hungry gaze and her shaky arms gave out as she lay back on the bed next to a satiated Lisa who was grinning like a fool.

Caitlin’s eyes tracked Cisco’s movements as he slowly and purposefully unbuttoned his dress shirt, tugged it down his arms, and tossed it toward the chair he had recently vacated. Caitlin’s mouth went dry as his hands moved down to his belt to unclasp the buckle and pop the button on his gray trousers. Before he allowed them to drop to the floor, though, he paused to ask quietly, “Do you want me to keep going, Cait?”

She opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out, so she nodded her head to tell him “yes” instead. One corner of his lips quirked and he pushed the expensive fabric downward until they fell to his feet. He toed off his dress shoes, and yanked his socks off, until the only thing he was left wearing were his tight, form-fitting black boxer briefs that left very little to Caitlin’s imagination. She could vividly see the outline of his hard cock pressing against the cotton, and her mouth watered at the thought of tasting him on her tongue.

He held his hand out toward her, and Caitlin didn’t hesitate to place her fingers in his. With little effort, he pulled her to a sitting position until she was facing him at the edge of the bed. She took her time in allowing her gaze to roam over the expanse of his dark, caramel skin that covered his abs and chest muscles until she finally reached his smoldering, dark eyes. “Touch me, Cait. If you want more, you have to take it.”

Heat flooded up the expanse of her naked breasts and further up into her cheeks until her pale, snowy skin was tinged with pink, but she lifted her chin and reached out to place her hand over the hard muscles of his abdomen and began to trail slowly downward. When she reached his hard length, it jumped against her palm from beneath the cotton of his underwear and she grew bolder when he sucked in a ragged breath when she squeezed him. Her eyes darted up to his and she whispered, “I want to see you.”

He nodded his head once before he hooked his thumbs in the elastic at the waist and pushed the boxer briefs past his hips and down his thighs. Caitlin’s eyes widened as Cisco’s cock was revealed to her in all its glory. His cock was thick and heavy with blood, and a pearly drop of fluid beaded at the tip of the fat crown that hovered only inches away from her. She glanced up at him again and blurted, “I want to taste you.”

Cisco closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he muttered in Spanish under his breath. He opened his eyes and stepped in closer to the bed until all Caitlin had to do was lower her head to lick the quivering drop of his essence. His flavor exploded across her palate with hints of musk and salt and something dark and primal that brought Frost up from the depths to investigate. Caitlin could feel Her rising, but she was too intent on getting another taste to pay Her any heed. She gripped his cock in her left hand and held him steady as she lowered her head to take him deep into her mouth to lick and suck as he gathered her hair in his fist in a gentle grip as she bobbed up and down over his length.

“Oh, fuck,” he breathed as Caitlin used her hand to slide up and down his slick length each time her mouth retreated. “ _Tu boca es como el cielo, querida_ ,” he added, his voice deep and husky as he used his hold on her hair to pull her mouth back down his length.

Caitlin was so lost in her haze of lust that she didn’t realize that Frost was creeping close to the surface. Even with her powers cut off by the special cuffs, she still felt a shiver overtake her as Frost pushed Caitlin back in order to swim to the surface. Caitlin pulled back from Cisco’s body and gasped, “She’s too close! I can’t push Her back!”

Cisco gripped Caitlin’s chin in his fingers and forced her head back until his black eyes held her spellbound in their gaze. “All this stops if you allow Her to take control. Do you understand me, Cait? I want _you_ , not Her. Push Her back.”

Caitlin’s chest heaved with her panicked breaths, but she drew strength from Cisco’s intense command and the feel of Lisa’s warm hands stroking in comforting circles across her bare shoulders. Caitlin closed her eyes and willed Frost back down. _No! You will not ruin this for me, you bitch!_ Caitlin thought fiercely. _They are mine, not yours!_

After several tense moments of battle, Caitlin opened her eyes and released a gusty sigh of relief. She leaned her head against Cisco’s stomach and he buried his hands in her hair to hold her close. The scent of Cisco’s citrusy cologne tickled her nose and she brought her arms around him to pull him closer. “I need you, Cisco. Please, I can’t wait any longer.”

Cisco’s ab muscles jumped under her cheek with his harsh chuckle. “Thank God, because I can’t wait any longer, either.”

Caitlin felt Lisa’s hands gently pull her away from her hold on Cisco, and she allowed the other woman to pull her back down to the bed. It was so flawless and easy for Caitlin to switch her focus from Cisco to Lisa. It seemed natural and effortless to follow Lisa into a heated embrace that ended with Caitlin kneeling between Lisa’s spread legs while she braced her arms on each side of Lisa’s shoulders as they kissed and touched each other. In the back of her mind, she could hear Cisco moving around, but the taste of Lisa’s lips consumed Caitlin’s attention. Lisa surrounded her with her arms and her scent, and she hooked her legs around Caitlin’s to force them open wider as Lisa trailed a hand down Caitlin’s abdomen until her fingers slipped past the flimsy material of Caitlin’s thongs. Caitlin gasped into Lisa’s mouth as she felt her friend grow bolder in her exploration as she dipped her fingers into the slippery wetness that coated Caitlin’s nether lips and swirled and rubbed against Caitlin’s clit.

“So wet for us, Caity bug,” Lisa crooned between clinging kisses. She sank two fingers deep inside Caitlin’s channel and began to thrust inside of her with short, languid strokes as Caitlin trembled and rode her fingers. “Oh, my darling, you are so tight and so wet.”

Caitlin’s entire body was alive with sensation as Lisa wrapped her in silken webs of whispered sinful words as she played Caitlin’s body like a finely-tuned instrument. “Please, Lisa,” Caitlin gasped as her friend rubbed and circled around her swollen clit before plunging back inside her channel. “I need more!”

The bed dipped between Caitlin’s legs and she knew that Cisco had finally joined them. She could feel the heat emanating off of his body as he saddled up behind Caitlin, and her back arched when he ran his hand down her spine until he reached the thin lace of her white thongs. “I think it’s past time for these to go,” he rumbled as he gripped the material in his fists and wrenched them apart. The ripping of fabric was like an electric shock throughout Caitlin’s body and she instinctively thrust her hips back toward his heat.

Cisco’s hands gripped and massaged Caitlin’s ass cheeks and he pulled them apart to see the most intimate and hidden parts of Caitlin’s body, but she was no longer embarrassed. She was too hot, too lost in the rising tide of lust to give any thought to her modesty. She gasped as his fingers trailed down between her ass to find the core of her and he slipped a thick finger inside of her to take up space along with Lisa’s two. Caitlin keened at the feeling of being stretched open by her two lovers, and panted into Lisa’s mouth as her body coiled tighter with the rising tide of her climax.

“Tell me what you want, Cait,” Cisco demanded from behind her as he thrust his finger deep inside her while the thumb of his other hand stroked lightly over the puckered opening of her ass. “You have to say it out loud.”

Caitlin buried her face in Lisa’s fragrant neck and sobbed out, “Fuck me, Cisco. God, please, fuck me!”

They both retrieved their fingers from Caitlin’s swollen and slippery channel as Lisa placed a gentle kiss on Caitlin’s head. “That’s the way, sweet Caity. I’m so proud of you.”

The fingers of Cisco’s left hand bit into the soft skin on Caitlin’s hip as he pressed up against the cradle of Caitlin’s hips. She moaned with anticipation when she felt the fat, blunt tip of his cock nestled against the opening of her pussy, and all three of them moaned in unison as he pushed inside of her to sink all the way inside. Caitlin’s vision whited out as she felt Cisco stretch her impossibly wide with the girth of his cock, but the slight burn of his entry faded beneath the bliss of finally being filled and completed by him.

“ _Mierda, me encanta, mi diosa de la nieve,_ ” Cisco moaned as he thrust deeper inside of her.

Caitlin clung to Lisa’s body like a lifeline, and she smoothed Caitlin’s hair while whispering a litany of descriptions in Caitlin’s ear of what it looked like to see Caitlin spread open wide by Cisco’s cock while Lisa’s legs kept Caitlin’s trapped wide so she couldn’t close them. Caitlin was lost and floundering in the rushing tide of his possession as Cisco’s fingers dug bruises into her hips with each push and pull of his cock into her slick channel. His thrusts grew harder and rougher, and the impact of his hips against her ass resounded through the room in synchronous timing with Caitlin’s cries as her body spiraled out of her control. She felt the wicked Frost trying to claw Her way to the surface once more, but Caitlin refused to let go of the ecstasy of being owned and claimed by her two lovers.

“Please, please, please,” she chanted, her voice strained and hoarse against Lisa’s neck. “I can’t! I’m so close, but I’m afraid to let go!” she confessed helplessly as Cisco pounded into her from behind.

“Shh, don’t worry, Caity bug,” Lisa soothed her. “We will be there to catch you when you fall.”

Cisco’s right hand snaked around Caitlin’s hip until his fingers found the swollen, slippery bud of her clit. He pressed and swirled his calloused fingertip around and around until Caitlin felt like she would splinter apart from the pressure of her impending release. “God, Caitlin, I can’t last much longer. _C_ _órrete_ _conmigo_ ,” he ordered.

A strong vibration from his fingers sent Caitlin hurtling through stratosphere and a scream ripped from her throat as she shattered and fragmented under the waves of his power that he sent winging through her body. Cisco continued to pound his thick cock deep inside of her until he, too, stiffened and came with shuddering grunts deep inside her. Every time she thought that the powerful waves of her climax would abate, another strong pulse from his fingers forced her to reach a higher peak until she was breathless and sobbing into Lisa’s neck as she gave herself completely over to Cisco’s control. Time lost all meaning for Caitlin as she rode the roller coaster of Cisco’s vibes to increasingly higher and sharper heights before she came crashing back down to shudder and pant for breath before it started all over again. Never in her life had she ever felt anything like the riptides of pleasure that threatened to tear her apart beneath Cisco’s fingers and cock.

Tears slipped and pooled under her cheek where Lisa cradled her against her neck. Over the ringing of Caitlin’s ears, she heard Lisa tell Cisco, “That’s enough, lover. She can’t take any more.”

Cisco leaned across Caitlin’s back and kissed a path along her spine before he straightened back up and pulled his spent shaft carefully from Caitlin’s oversensitive pussy and backed off the bed. Caitlin was still trembling from aftershocks as Lisa unwound her legs from where they hooked around Caitlin’s knees, and carefully eased Caitlin down to the bed. Her hands were gentle and soothing as she maneuvered Caitlin under the covers and joined her, only to pull Caitlin back into her soft, voluptuous embrace. As Caitlin slowly regained her equilibrium, she heard Cisco flush the toilet and the sound of his footsteps as he made his way back to the bedroom.

The bed dipped behind her and Cisco slid under the covers until he was able to spoon Caitlin’s body and throw his arm across both women to pull them all three in tighter together in the small confines of Caitlin’s queen size bed. Tears continued to leak down Caitlin’s cheek where it rested against the pillow of Lisa’s chest, and Caitlin’s fingers twitched and jerked against the silky expanse of Lisa’s lower back. Cisco’s nose nuzzled along Caitlin’s neck and he pressed gentle, reverent kisses against her skin as he whispered, “Are you okay, Cait? Did I hurt you?”

A sob escaped Caitlin’s throat and she nodded before she forced actual words past her lips. “I’m good, Cisco. More than good, actually. I’m happy for the first time in so very long,” she admitted between catches in her breath.

“Of course you are, Caity bug,” Lisa cooed as she ran her fingernails through Caitlin’s snarled and sweaty hair. “You’ve got us to keep you safe.”

Caitlin brought her hand down to hold onto Cisco’s thigh so that she could touch them both at the same time. Being bracketed on both sides by their heat reminded Caitlin of what it felt like to be utterly warm and content. Since her ice powers had begun to manifest, Caitlin had known nothing but cold loneliness and frozen fear, but cradled in the embrace of her two lovers, Caitlin was finally warm. It was a relief so profound that the tears continued to fall quietly even as she smiled and closed her eyes to soak up their presence.

As she began to drift off to sleep, she heard Cisco murmur, “ _Te he amado desde el momento en que nos conocimos._ ”

Caitlin stirred and pressed her ass firmly against Cisco’s hips. “What does that mean?” she asked, her voice sleepy and content.

Before he could reply, Lisa answered for him. “He said that he has loved you from the moment you first met.” She giggled quietly into Caitlin’s hair and whispered conspiratorially, “He tried to hide behind Spanish with me, too, but Lenny and I are fluent thanks to one of our foster mothers who refused to allow English in the house.”

“Oh,” Caitlin replied softly. She looked over her shoulder to catch Cisco’s gaze and murmured, “You’ve loved me that long? Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

Cisco dropped his gaze and shrugged. “It was never the right time what with Ronnie and the explosion, and I was just plain scared to tell you. Everyone has fear, Cait. You just can’t let it control you.”

She reached back to pull him in for a long kiss before settling back into Lisa’s arms. “I love you, too, Cisco.” She leaned in to place an equally hot kiss to Lisa’s lips. “I never thought I would say this, but I love you, too, Lisa. You have given me so much in the past month. I would have never been able to control the Frost without your help.”

Lisa rubbed noses with Caitlin and giggled. “Oh, sweetie, I adore you, too. You two are so cute. I think I’ll keep you both.”

Caitlin and Cisco chuckled together and the three of them settled in for a long, snowy night of sex, food, champagne, and a celebratory snowball fight after ringing in the New Year. Caitlin dominated against the combined team of Lisa and Cisco, but the rest of the night was spent being dominated by them in the bedroom until they fell asleep in a tangle of arms and legs as the sun the rose on a new year and a new beginning for them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Shew! That one took a lot out of me, but I'll be starting the next chapter this evening or tomorrow. I have a lovely weekend of nothing planned coming up, so that should give me plenty of time to bang away at my laptop. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you again for all your amazing comments and support! I really couldn't keep going without your feedback.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Sorry for the delay in posting! Sometimes, life gets in the way. It was a rough weekend for me emotionally as it was my mother's birthday. She passed unexpectedly two years ago, and sometimes grief and mourning sucks me down, chews me up, and then spits me back out again. It's all good though! She was my biggest fan and cheerleader when it came to my writing (though I never let her read the smut!), and I knew she would want me to keep doing what makes me happy, especially when the sadness tries to drag me down. 
> 
> So, here you go, friends! A nice long chapter full of Len and Barry with lots of emotional, delicious smut! Enjoy!**

_ 9 pm, New Year’s Eve Night _

 

“Again, Barry,” Len snapped. “You can do this.”

Barry concentrated for all he was worth until sweat popped out on his brow. He held his hand out toward Len who stood three feet away, and focused on the cycling power of the speed force inside of him and willed it to jump the distance between them. Electric blue lightning flickered from his fingertips and arced across the distance, but before it could reach Len, it rebounded back on Barry with angry buzzing that set his whole body blurring with its force.

Barry grit his teeth against the agitated speed force that punished his body for daring to try to control it in such a way. He didn’t know why it was so much easier to do when he and Len were touching, but when he tried to share the speed force with him when they were separated, it was nearly impossible. With a snarled curse, Barry stilled his blurring body and ran his hand through his unruly hair. “It’s not working, Len. I think I have to be touching you for the speed force to be able to travel to you.”

Len sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes with weariness. “I think it can be done, Scarlet. We just have to figure out how.”

Barry collapsed back on the black leather sofa and sprawled across its cushiony length. He threw an arm across his eyes and blocked out the sight of Len standing in front of him wearing only a low-hanging pair of plaid pajama bottoms, and nothing else. When Barry had returned from his dinner with Joe, Iris, and Wally that evening, he had hoped to spend a relaxing evening at home with his lover, but Len apparently had other plans. Without even letting Barry change clothes, Len had immediately led Barry into the newly renovated living room and had begun the useless exercise they were currently engaging in. For over two hours now, Barry had tried and failed to extend the speed force beyond his body, and for two hours now, he had felt like he was failing Len.

Barry blinked back the stupid, useless tears pricking behind his eyes and replied, “What if I can’t do it, Len? What if your plan doesn’t work because of me and you…” He trailed off, unable to even voice the possibility of Len’s demise in five months’ time.

Even with his eyes covered, he could feel Len move closer to the couch. When Len’s hand wedged itself under Barry’s neck and lifted, Barry obligingly raised up enough that Len could sit down with Barry’s head in his lap. His lover’s fingers carded through Barry’s hair with soft, soothing caresses which did little to stem the tide of desperation and fear that welled up inside of him. “Die? Barry, we’ve discussed this before, you know. Everyone that is born must eventually die. It’s only a matter of when, not if, and I’ve already cheated death so many times in my life that my luck will run out sooner rather than later. The only thing we are promised is right now.”

Barry rolled until his face was pressed against the washboard abs of Len’s stomach, and his voice was muffled when he replied waspishly, “I don’t want just now with you, Len. I want tomorrow, next week, next year, and all the years after that, too. It’s not fair. How much of myself am I expected to give before it will be enough? How many friends and loved ones have to die by the hands of my enemies before I am allowed to find and keep happiness? I swear to God, Len, that if I could trade my powers to keep you safe, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

Len’s fingers massaged against Barry’s scalp and his muscles clenched beneath Barry’s cheek. “I know you would, Scarlet, but that’s not the answer. You tried that once with Wally, remember? No, you are desperately needed as The Flash, and no matter what happens in five months’ time, you will need to be strong and brave and fight for everything that is good in this world. That especially includes you. You can’t ever give up, even when I’m gone. You understand that, right?”

Barry peeked up the long line of Len’s torso until he met his lover’s pale blue gaze. “You make it sound like you think you’re going to die no matter what we do. Jay told me that every decision we make can alter the future. Maybe Savitar won’t come back at all.” Even as he said it, he knew down to his bones that it wasn’t true.

Len’s knuckles were unaccountably gentle as he stroked across Barry’s cheekbone. “I know exactly what Jay Garrick said to you, Scarlet. I’ve listened to the recording no less than a dozen times, but you have to remember that I have spent the past year of my life traveling throughout time. I know how the time line operates, and the odds are stacked against us in this. That doesn’t mean that I’m giving up, though. I will fight every god and monster and time itself in order to stay by your side, but sometimes, it’s just not enough. You have to be prepared should the worst happen and I die. You have to keep running, Barry, even if you’re scared and sad.”

Barry sat up and scrambled around until he was straddling Len’s lap and had his arms wrapped around Len’s neck. He braced his forehead against Len’s and answered, “You think I will only be scared and sad if you die? Len, do you honestly still not understand how I feel about you? You are the reason I wake up in the morning, and the reason I come home at night. Your name is like a prayer on my lips, and every day that I spend with you is like a glimpse of heaven. You are my rock, my shield, my protector, and my lover. I’ve never felt whole in my life until you claimed me as yours back in that little rent house outside of time. I don’t know how else to explain it to you, Len, except to say that I love you, and even that doesn’t properly convey all that you are to me. No, if you leave me by choice or by death, I will be utterly destroyed. I am broken without you.”

Len’s hands came up to bracket Barry’s cheeks and he pulled Barry in for a slow, deep kiss. Barry closed his eyes and soaked up every nuance of Len’s kiss from his soft, lush lips to the sweep of his tongue into Barry’s mouth. Len’s lips grew more frenzied, his fingertips digging into the nape of Barry’s neck, as he plunged in and out of Barry’s lips like a man dying of thirst. Barry couldn’t help but grind against the hardening ridge of flesh beneath his ass, and he moaned his desire into Len’s mouth as he ran his palms down the ridged muscles of Len’s chest.

With a gasp of needed air, Len broke free in order to hastily pull the S.T.A.R. Labs sweatshirt over Barry’s head and toss it to the ground. Len’s eyes ate up the bare flesh of Barry’s torso, but Barry was riveted by the emotion splashed across Len’s face like a child’s finger painting. There were streaks of obsession, splatters of lust, dots of admiration, jagged lines of concern, and stripes of devotion that combined to create a vivid, technicolor canvas of Len’s love for Barry. He could see it so clearly broadcasting from his lover’s face, and Barry wondered how anyone could ever think that Len was cold. All you had to do was look beneath that frosty exterior, and you would discover the seething cauldron of emotion just waiting to boil over.

Len searched Barry’s eyes for some answer, some clue, on how to answer. “Scarlet, I…you know that I…what I’m trying to say is that I…” Len trailed off as his lips continued to form words without speaking.

Barry smiled, his eyes crinkling with the happiness of it all, and placed his finger over Len’s lips to still them. “Yes, Len. I know. I already know.”

Len closed his eyes and his jaw clenched on the words that refused to form in his mouth as if they were a foreign language and he was not quite capable of pronouncing them. Barry didn’t need to hear them, though. Not really. Words were easily said and even more easily broken. But actions? A person’s actions could not lie, and Len had never stopped proving the depth of his love for Barry even back in that rent house. Even when he had sent Barry away, Len had been protecting him, loving him enough to set him free, no matter how badly it had hurt them both.

Len pulled Barry into his chest and crushed him in a tight embrace that spoke of urgency, desperation, and profound grief. Barry’s arms wrapped around his neck tight and he offered what comfort he could, because Barry knew down to his marrow that Len wasn’t mourning the possibility of his own death. Len was grieving over the possibility of Barry’s broken heart should Len’s death become a reality. It was exactly the kind of selfless and backward thinking that only Len could be capable of, and it made Barry love him all the more.

For once, Barry let go of his own anxiety and fears, and simply poured himself into offering comfort and peace to his love. He scrubbed his fingertips through Len’s tightly cropped hair, tenderly kissed along his stubbled jaw, and held him tight as he whispered, “Everything will be alright, Len. We will make it through this together, intact, and continue on with our lives long after Savitar’s name is forgotten. There is nothing we can’t accomplish together with my speed and your smarts. We are an unstoppable force, you and I.”

Len’s breath rushed out in a billow of steam against Barry’s naked shoulder and his arms squeezed Barry tighter until he grunted involuntarily. His voice was hoarse and shaky when Len replied, “That’s my brave, beautiful Scarlet. I don’t deserve you, you know. I never have and I never will.”

Barry pulled back and used his fingers to gently tip Len’s head back until their eyes met and held in a timeless moment of eternity where their souls merged, and the speed force flickered to life behind Barry’s eyes with a soft, blue glow. “Since when have you ever stopped to question your worth, Len? You wanted me, coveted me, and stole me, fair and square. To the victor go the spoils, and to the thief goes my heart. Let’s not waste any more time on second-guessing ourselves. Just take what you want, because all I am is already yours.”

Len groaned and pulled Barry’s hips in tight to his own until their erections were grinding each other through their pants. “God damn, Scarlet,” Len rasped into his ear, “You make me want to do bad things to you.”

Barry’s stomach jumped with the thrill of Len’s pronouncement and he choked, “Yes! God, yes, Len. I am yours, body and soul. Take me, use me, fill me, fuck me. I want you. I _need_ you to claim me with your body.”

A decidedly unmanly squawk escaped Barry’s throat when Len grasped him firmly around the waist and stood to his feet while holding Barry tight. Barry tightened his hold on Len’s neck and hooked his feet around his waist as Len began to walk down the hallway toward their bedroom. “Not in there. Security cameras,” Len explained, not even puffing for breath at hauling Barry’s weight.

Barry chuckled in his lover’s ear and replied, “You know, I have two legs of my own and can walk just fine.”

Len adjusted his grip on Barry’s ass and reached up to punch in the security code of 22779 in order to access their secure suite of rooms. “Yes, I am fully aware of your amazing legs, Scarlet, but if I put you down, I will not be able to do this.”

As the door shut behind them with an electronic _click_ , Len braced Barry’s back against the wall and dove into his mouth for a deep, possessive kiss as he used his grip on Barry’s ass to grind their hips together. Barry closed his eyes and gave himself over to Len’s control and whined between Len’s lips for more. Len broke away from the kiss only to attack Barry’s neck with fierce, sucking bites as a rumbling growl vibrated in his chest. Barry embraced each sting of pain that bloomed from Len’s attentions and thrust his hard cock against Len’s abs as desire and lust sang through his veins.

“Tell me, Len,” Barry panted within the circle of Len’s strong arms. “Tell me what you want to do to me.”

A full-body tremor shook Len and he growled, “I want to tie you up and bring you to the edge over and over again until you beg me to let you come. I want to grip your hair and watch your gorgeous hazel eyes water as you take my cock down your throat. I want to bend your knees up to your ears and plunge my cock into your tight, slick hole and fuck you so many times that my seed will run down your legs like river. I want to devour you, bite you, lick you, and feast on your body for hours.”

This time, it was Barry’s turn to shiver as the impact of Len’s words brought him perilously close to spilling himself inside his jeans. “Do it, Len,” Barry panted as he pressed Len’s mouth in tighter to his chest where Len’s teeth were nipping and leaving faint red marks along his collarbone. “Fuck! I want it all!”

Len’s arms tightened around him like a vice and his steps were determined as he continued to carry Barry toward their bedroom. Once inside, Len slammed the bedroom door behind them with his bare foot, and marched toward their king size bed where he dropped Barry with a bounce on the mattress. Pausing only long enough to shuck his pajama pants and underwear, Len crawled over top of Barry and looked down on him with intense focus.  “Oh, I have every intention of doing every single thing I can think of to you, Scarlet. Just not tonight. Tonight, I only want you. I want to feel your hands, your lips, and your body touching mine. I just want you.”

Barry’s breath left his lungs with a rush and reached up to pull Len down into another long, heated kiss. If only he could spend all his time like this, wrapped in the warm embrace of Len’s body, Barry would never ask for anything more. Here, with Len’s strong, naked body pressed against his, was where Barry felt safe and loved. This was where Barry felt whole and without shame or regret or recrimination. Being here with Len was where Barry felt like he had finally found a home.

With gentle yet firm push, Barry rolled Len to his back until Barry was the one looming over top of his lover. When Len only raised a questioning eyebrow, Barry reached out to run his fingertips over the lush curve of Len’s lips, and whispered, “Let me do everything tonight. Let me show you how you make me feel.”

Len’s small, dusky nipples tightened into hard points and goosebumps broke out across his arms, but a slow, sexy smile curled his lips as he replied huskily, “Who could resist such an offer when it comes from such gorgeous lips? You’re in charge, Scarlet. Just tell me what to do, and I’m all yours.”

A savage need to prove himself rose up within Barry, and he grinned. He reached over to the music dock and pressed a few buttons until the sultry sounds of The Weeknd began to play. As he resumed his place straddling Len’s muscular thighs, he had the idle thought that he wished that he had those cuffs to turn the tables on Len, but somehow, Barry knew that Len would not be comfortable being bound with his history of being an unwilling prisoner. So, he settled for the next best thing. Lacing his fingers in Len’s own, he brought them up next to Len’s head and pressed them into the pillow. Holding him captive, Barry leaned in to press a quick kiss against his lover’s lips and breathed, “Don’t move your hands. No touching me or yourself until I say otherwise. You just lay there and accept it all. Okay?”

Len’s breaths grew faster and his hips thrust against Barry’s weight until his hard, thick cock dug into the zipper of Barry’s jeans. “As you wish, Scarlet.”

Barry retrieved his hands and sat up to his full height to look down at the debauched picture Len made spread out on the bed for him. “There are so many things I wish for when it comes to you,” Barry murmured as he ran his hands up and over the swell of Len’s pecs. His stomach dropped when Len flexed the muscles under Barry’s palms.

He continued his exploration of Len’s familiar skin by tracing each tattoo with a light touch while watching Len’s expression carefully to gauge his effect on him. Barry loved Len’s ink, even the rough prison tats that decorated Len’s skin. Oddly, he even missed Len’s scars that had crisscrossed the expanse of his body like a map detailing the trials of his life. He wasn’t sorry they were gone, though, because that part of Len’s life was behind him. His future belonged to Barry now, and the speed force had erased the minor imperfections to an otherwise flawless body.

Barry leaned back down to lick along the intricate tribal rose with jagged thorns that crisscrossed Len’s ribs and kept going until the stiff pebble of his nipple pressed against Barry’s tongue. Len gasped and strained upward toward Barry’s mouth, and Barry smiled against his skin as he lathed the tight bud and gently pinched it between his teeth. A soft growl hummed low in Len’s chest as Barry made his way to the other neglected nub and gave it the same, slow torture with his lips and teeth and tongue. Len’s body began to twitch and move beneath Barry’s attentions, but the taste of Len’s skin had driven everything else from Barry’s mind but the quest for more. Always more of Len.

As Barry continued to move down Len’s torso, his own cock pulsed angrily against the tight confines of his jeans and his hole clenched at the sight of Len’s hard, swollen shaft that leaked a pearly drop of fluid against his abdomen. Like a Pavlovian response, Barry’s mouth watered at the sight of his lover’s long, thick cock with the fat crown peeking out of the swath of foreskin. “Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?” Barry asked idly as he ran one finger lightly down the big vein that pulsed down the length of Len’s shaft. “If I haven’t, I should rectify that right now, because…damn. You are so fucking gorgeous, Len, from the crown of your hair to the tip of your big toes. But your cock? That right there is a masterpiece.”

Len’s stomach muscles clenched, causing his cock to jump toward Barry’s touch. “No one’s ever told me that before you,” he admitted tightly as he rolled his hips to push his cock into Barry’s palm. “At least, not anyone who didn’t want something from me.”

Barry’s gaze jumped up to meet Len’s, and his voice was deadly serious when he replied, “The only thing I’ve ever wanted from you has already been given freely. I won’t be careless with your heart, Len. I will protect it and you just as fiercely as you do me.”

Before Len could reply, Barry slid down further until he could run his nose down the deep crease of Len’s Adonis belt until he reached the crisp curls that framed his crotch. Barry breathed deep of Len’s signature scent of male musk, woodsy shower gel, and an essence that purely _him_. Barry groaned and nuzzled the low-hanging sack before he swiped the loose skin with the flat of his tongue. Len hissed through his teeth, and it only spurred Barry onward to suck each tender egg into his mouth to gently roll and suck before moving on to the other one. From previous conversations, Barry knew not to explore further back; Len had long ago explained his aversion to the activity with a brief mention of “bad memories.” Barry never wanted to cause Len anything but pleasure, so he worked his way back up until he was able to lick and suck along the thick shaft while his hand took over cupping and tugging at Len’s sack.

“Fuck,” Len groaned. “Your mouth should be illegal, Scarlet.”

In the background, The Weeknd softly sang, _“He’s what you want, he’s what you want, he’s what you want, he’s what you want, I’m what you need, what you need…”_ and Barry chuckled and stole the sticky drop of liquid quivering at the tip of his crown. Barry closed his eyes and savored the heady taste of Len’s flavor as it rolled across his tongue. Barry hummed deep in his throat and his eyes were heavy-lidded as he met Len’s piercing blue gaze. “Everything about you is illegal, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Without waiting for a reply, Barry gripped Len’s cock in his fist and lowered his mouth to lick around and around the sticky red head of Len’s cock. He dipped beneath the hood of skin and teased the sensitive crease along the underside of the crown until Len bucked his hips to try to push himself deeper. Barry was the one in control, though, and he braced his free hand against Len’s hipbone to keep him still while he worked. With slow, tortuous movements, Barry pulled the loose skin away from the shiny crown and sucked and flicked the tip with shallow, leisurely movements until Len was strung taut beneath him and cursed.

That was the sign Barry had been waiting for, and he sank his mouth down over the thick flesh until he could go no further without gagging. That didn’t stop him, though, and he pulled back off only to sink back down. Barry relaxed and dilated the opening of his throat and kept going until Len’s cock plugged his throat and cut off his air supply. Reflexively, his throat swallowed and convulsed around the wide head and Len cried out with a surprised shout as Barry vibrated his vocal chords like he did when he was disguising his voice. When spots began to dance behind his closed eyes, he pulled back off to catch his breath while his hand stroked up and down Len’s length.

“Jesus, Barry,” Len gasped, causing Barry’s gaze to snap up to his lover’s face. Len’s body was a visual buffet with his biceps bulging with the grip Len maintained on the pillow beneath his head, and dots of sweat breaking out across his forehead. His chest was heaving for breath, and every muscle along his abdomen was popping with the strain of holding himself back from coming.

Barry rolled the foreskin over and back down the sensitive crown of Len’s cock, and warned, “Don’t come yet, Len. I’m not nearly done with you yet.”

Len slammed his eyes shut and threw his head back as he said through gritted teeth, “Just remember, Scarlet. Payback’s a bitch.”

Barry’s chuckle was deep and seductive as he replied, “Yeah, I’m kinda counting on it.”

He lowered his mouth again to continue his torture of Len’s cock. He bobbed up and down his length, pausing to take him deep over and over again, as Len cursed and sweat through each time Barry vibrated around his dark, swollen cock. Every time Len’s balls pulled up tight, Barry backed away to blow a cool breath across the overheated shaft and applied firm pressure to the base until Len regained control of himself. Barry had never felt as powerful and in control as he did in that moment as he orchestrated Len’s pleasure and denied him release.

After the fifth time that Barry had staved off Len’s climax, his lover gasped, “Scarlet, you’re killing me here.” There was a hint of warning and a touch of desperation in his tone, and Barry decided to relent.

With one last lick to collect the steady dribble of precome leaking from the tip, Barry edged his way off the bed and stretched his arms over his head. He knew Len’s gaze was riveted to the picture that Barry presented with no shirt and his jeans hanging low on his hips. As if on cue, _Love in the Sky_ began to play as Barry ran a hand slowly down the center of his chest, taking care to slide over each bump and ridge of his ab muscles until he reached the button of his jeans. Len licked his bottom lip as Barry popped the button free, lowered the zipper, and allowed the denim to fall down around his ankles. As if he weren’t aware of Len’s covetous gaze, Barry reached down to palm his aching cock through his boxer briefs and moaned softly as he squeezed himself.

Veins popped along Len’s forearms as his fingers dug into the pillow to keep from letting go. His voice was deep and husky as he said, “I’m trying real hard not to take over, Scarlet. You’re not making it easy to keep my hands to myself here.”

Barry smirked and winked and bent over to pull his underwear down his legs as The Weeknd crooned, _“There’s no need to hide, Don’t overreact, You said you’ve been to the sky, We’ll go beyond that”._ He stepped out of his clothing and padded over to the bedside table to pick up the ever-present bottle of lubricant before crawling back on the bed to once again straddle Len’s hips. With studied nonchalance, Barry flicked the cap open on the lubricant and drizzled his fingers with the slippery liquid. Len watched every move Barry made as he reached behind himself to paint the opening of his ass with the slick silicone-based lube.

Barry’s eyes closed as he worked first one, then two of his fingers deep into his ass. He bit his lip on a moan and thrust his cock along the length of Len’s as he pumped the digits in and out of his ass in order to prep himself to take Len’s cock. His eyes popped back open, though, when Len growled, “That is the hottest fucking thing I think I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Barry retrieved his fingers and made short work of slicking up the thick column of flesh that lay swollen and flushed with blood against Len’s abs. He raised up on his knees and held Len’s cock steady as he lowered himself until the wide crown was centered on the tight, puckered opening of Barry’s ass. He paused long enough to gasp, “Just wait. I’m not done yet.” And he lowered himself slowly and relentlessly until Len’s cock breached the opening of Barry’s body.

A shock of searing pain licked up Barry’s spine as the widest part of the crown popped through, but Barry didn’t pause or slow down as he sank steadily down until his ass was flush with Len’s thighs and Len’s cock was buried to the hilt inside of him. Sweat popped out on Barry’s brow, but before the tears of pain could gather in his eyes, it faded away to leave only the bliss of being filled up by Len. Len moaned long and low as he thrust his hips upward to sink in a fraction of inch deeper, and Barry braced his hands on Len’s chest as he arched his back to ensure they were joined as closely as humanly possible.

Len tossed his head side to side on the pillow, and his knuckles turned white with the grip he maintained on the pillow. “Son of a bitch, Scarlet,” he rasped, his voice thick and husky with the strain. “I want to touch you so fucking bad.”

Barry released his pent up breath and rotated his hips in order to feel Len’s cock from all angles inside of his ass. His fingers dug into the taut pecs of Len’s chest and he raised himself up slowly only drop back down into Len’s lap. “Not yet. Just watch,” he panted as he began to ride Len’s cock in earnest.

With every advance and retreat of Len’s cock into his ass, Barry could feel the speed force gathering strength inside of him along with the rising tide of his orgasm. He moved his hips and angled his body until the head of Len’s cock slid back and forth across the bundle of nerves inside him, sending jolts of electric bliss winging along his nerve endings. Barry’s cock was like rebar and dripping a steady stream of precome in a small puddle against Len’s abs as he used his leverage to lift himself up before slamming his ass back down on Len’s thick cock. He knew that Len couldn’t last much longer, but Barry had a plan, and that meant that Barry needed to come first.

To that end, he wrapped his hand around his own cock and began to pump himself in tandem with each thrust of Len’s cock. He knew Len’s eyes were glued to him, and he made sure to put on the best show possible as he stroked his cock while moaning Len’s name. “Oh, fuck. Len! I’m going to come, but I want you to wait just a little longer. I swear I will make it good for you,” Barry moaned as he choked on the swelling feeling of his orgasm clawing its way to the surface.

The veins in Len’s neck were strung tight and his face was red with the strain of holding back, but he grunted, “Whatever you want, baby. I’ll do it for you.”

Barry’s fingers dug into the skin of Len’s side as his other hand pulled his climax to the surface. He was so fucking close, and the speed force was cycling faster and faster through his body until the shadows of the bedroom began to glow with eerie blue light that reflected off the electric blue lightning flickering behind his eyes. The impact of his ass slapping against Len’s hips drowned out the music and his desperate cries as he rode Len’s cock toward ecstasy. Just as he reached the peak and hovered at the edge, he held his free hand several inches away from Len’s chest and pushed the speed force through the tips of his fingers. As Barry’s cock erupted with sprays of pearly seed across Len’s chest, Len’s back bowed and he gave a hoarse shout as the speed force jumped the short distance from Barry’s fingertips to Len’s skin with a crack of blue lightning.

Even as Barry’s body shuddered and quaked with the force of his coming, he cried out, “Now, Len!”

Barry’s head spun and the world turned upside down in a dizzying flash of movement. When his eyesight refocused, he found himself on his back with Len snarling down at him with the speed force flickering behind his pale blue eyes. His hips were like a jackhammer as he fucked Barry with inhuman speed until he plunged his cock as deep as he could go, sank his teeth into the soft flesh over Barry’s heart, and bit as he came with wracking tremors. Barry could feel the speed force flowing from him, to Len, and back like an infinite, unstoppable loop that kept the both of them coasting that blissful high of orgasm for so long that Barry’s vision began to turn black at the edge.

Len had Barry bent in half with his thrusts, but his hips didn’t slow as the speed force gained strength and momentum between them. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he needed to pull it back before Len was hurt, but the energy they shared felt too good to let go just yet. Their bedroom glowed with the light reflecting off the two of them together, and Len released his teeth’s grip on Barry’s flesh to cry out Barry’s name.

With one final thrust of his cock, Len snarled and pushed the speed force back into Barry and closed off the open connection so it couldn’t return. He collapsed across Barry’s sweaty chest, and Barry cradled Len in his arms as the speed force once again settled down into the familiar low buzz of energy just below the surface of Barry’s skin like a contented cat. He ran his hands up and down Len’s back and couldn’t wipe the ecstatic grin off his face as he gave Len time to recover himself. He didn’t care that Len was drooling against his chest or that his body was still quaking with aftershocks of his climax. Barry was too excited about the possibilities of what had just occurred.

After long minutes of silence interrupted only by the occasional groan and gasp for breath on Len’s part, Barry whispered, “Are you okay? Was it too much this time?”

Len peeled his cheek off of Barry’s chest and slowly pulled himself from Barry’s body and collapsed on his face on the bed next to him. His voice was muffled by the pillow when he replied, “How did I end up on top?”

Barry’s joyous laugh escaped his lips and rolled to his side to curl against Len’s back as he replied, “You did that, not me. You used the speed force to move in a flash. _You_ did that, Len. You harnessed it and used it before pushing it back to me.”

Barry could only see one eye peering at him blearily from the depths of the pillow, and Len’s voice was confused and slurred when he replied, “I did? How?”

Barry peppered Len’s sweat-soaked back with kisses and he couldn’t contain the pride and joy as he explained, “I gave it to you freely, and you accepted it. It’s really that simple, and I think we can do it again.”

The bed moved with Len’s harsh bark of laughter. “Jesus, how do you live with that much power all the time? I feel like I’m drunk off my ass.”

“You’ll get used to it with practice,” Barry assured him confidently. Hope bloomed once more in his chest as he imagined the possibilities of being able to use the speed force to save Len’s life in five months’ time. “We have five months to get it right.”

Len finally rolled himself to his side, and Barry adjusted his body to plaster along Len’s front so they were snuggling into each other. Len wrapped his shaking arm around Barry’s back and pulled him closer to place a weary kiss on his lips. “Just as soon as I have control over my body again, I’m going to make you pay for that little stunt. But first, maybe a little nap.”

Barry hid his face in the crook of Len’s neck and breathed deep of Len’s spicy aroma. “What about ringing in the New Year?” he asked slyly as he hooked a long leg over Len’s hip.

Len’s voice was already fading away as he murmured, “The new year will still be there when we wake up. We can celebrate by taking a bath in that big ass tub they finished… installing… yesterday.”

Barry closed his eyes and sighed happily with contentment as he felt Len’s body go limp in his arms as he fell fast asleep. He listened to the sounds of Len’s deep, even breaths and counted Len’s heartrate until he was satisfied that no physical harm had been done to his love, and he followed Len into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Woo hoo! Barry is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! Speaking of the end, it looks like there is only one more chapter to go for this part. I'll start working on it tomorrow evening, because I have to do actual work tomorrow or my boss will have my hide no matter how much she loves me. The final chapter will be from Len's POV. He has a very important appointment to keep...
> 
> Peace, love, and happiness to all my friends out there! Smoke 'em if you got 'em, and take a puff for me! I love you guys!**


	13. Len's POV: INTERVIEW WITH A VIGILANTE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Last chapter of this part, but don't worry! I will begin working on the final part this weekend! I hope you enjoy this little chat between Len and Oliver Queen. I apologize if I've gotten anything wrong about Oliver or Felicity. I haven't been keeping up with the current season of Arrow. I was too put out with Felicity for dumping him last season to continue.**

LEN’S POV:

_ 12:45 pm, January 4th _

Len stared out the tinted windows of the SUV, but he wasn’t seeing the soot-stained piles of melting snow along the sides of the road or paying any attention to the bustling crowds that walked up and down the sidewalks of the busy city. Instead, he was looking at the imaginary blueprints in his head of his plan.

Things were moving right along according to his altered strategy. It had been difficult to adjust some of the details in order to meet his new five month timeline, but Len was used to having to reorder and shuffle his moves in order to meet unexpected dilemmas. The possibility of dying in five months’ time had really given Len a challenge in accomplishing some of his goals, but he was confident that should the worst occur, his Scarlet would be well taken care of emotionally, physically, and financially to the best of Len’s ability. At least, he would be if his next appointment ended as successfully as he hoped.

The SUV pulled up in front of the large municipal building and Len’s nose curled with distaste. He held no love for Star City, especially after the stint he had spent in the city during his travels with the Legends. Everything was too dark, too dreary, and too dangerous for Len’s liking. No, he much preferred the bright, cheerful, and optimistic feeling of his own Central City any day of the week. The sooner he could conclude his business here and get back home to Barry, the better.

The back door opened, and one of his trusted guards, Rob, held the door while Len stepped outside and straightened up to fasten the button on his expensive, tailored suitcoat. Rob closed the car door and said, “You want me to come inside with you, Boss?”

Len shook his head and slipped a crisp $50 bill into his guard’s hand. “That won’t be necessary, Rob. If this meeting goes as I expect it to, I should only be inside less than an hour. Go grab some lunch, but don’t leave the car unattended. There’s no honor among thieves in this place like in Central City. The only thing more prolific and violent than criminals in this city are the vigilantes that hunt them. Casualties tend to occur with frightening regularity here. I’ll text you when I’m ready to leave.”

Rob pocketed his tip and nodded briefly before resuming his place behind the wheel and driving away to leave Len standing on the steps of the government building. With a heavy sigh of resignation, Len made his way to the door and suffered through the requisite security before he continued on his way towards the mayor’s office for his appointment with the infamous Oliver Queen.

Though he had precious little interaction with the present day Green Arrow, Len knew enough about the man to respect his intelligence and fighting skills. Len also knew that even though Oliver was likely apprised of Len’s history with the Legends, the man was still not going to welcome him with open arms. Oliver Queen was suspicious, crafty, sly, and a master at lying to those close to him. In that respect, the two men were eerily similar, but that was where their compatibility ended. Len fully expected to find himself on the pointy end of an arrow should he make any missteps during their meeting.

After handing his business card to the secretary seated outside the mayor’s office, Len paced over to the window and looked down at the bustling streets of Star City while he waited for his audience with the reformed party boy of the formerly rich and powerful Queen family. Len’s very skin itched with the desire to leave the failing city behind him, but if anyone had the tenacity and skills to bring Star City to heel, it was Oliver Queen and his merry band of vigilantes. Len knew that he was taking a risk in exposing himself and his secrets to the dangerous man, but should Len die as he expected, Oliver was the only one strong enough to ensure that Barry kept running as The Flash. Oliver was well-versed in the tactics of tough love, and had proven himself a capable and loyal mentor to Barry since even before the particle accelerator exploded.

“Mr. Coldiron?” the pleasantly rounded young woman called out. “The Mayor will see you now.”

Len gave the secretary a respectful tip of his head in thanks, and strode confidently into the office to face the only other purely human man that Len considered his equal. When Len closed the door behind him, his eyebrows rose in surprise to see Felicity Smoak standing next to a steely-eyed Oliver Queen. Though he knew that Oliver and Felicity were no longer romantically tied, the two of them still worked together on Team Arrow. Len had not heard that Felicity was in any way involved with city politics, so that could only mean that she was there solely because of this meeting. That did not bode well for Len and his plans. Though Felicity looked like a teenage boy’s wet dream of a hot librarian, she was in fact one of the smartest and most gifted hackers alive. Her appearance at this meeting could only mean that Oliver Queen had serious doubts about the validity of Len Coldiron’s background.

Even as all this information tumbled through Len’s mind, he kept his expression carefully neutral and reached out to shake hands with Oliver. “Mr. Mayor, I can’t thank you enough for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice.”

Oliver’s grip was a little too firm to be polite, but his expression didn’t give away any clues as to his intentions as he replied, “Mr. Coldiron, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I have to say, I was surprised to get a call from Mayor Bellows asking me to meet with you. From what I understand, you have made quite the impression on the mayor, D.A., and police captain of Central City.” He dropped Len’s hand and gestured to the petite blonde on his right. “May I introduce my associate, Felicity Smoak? I hope you don’t mind that I invited her to our meeting. As I’m sure you know, she’s close friends with Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin, and she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet Barry’s new beau.”

Len smoothly shook Felicity’s tiny hand and offered her a false smile. “Of course I don’t mind. I’ve heard so much about you, Miss Smoak, and may I say that pictures don’t do your beauty justice?”

Felicity’s lovely blue eyes narrowed behind the square-framed lenses of her glasses, and her smile was brittle and forced as she replied, “Thank you, Mr. Coldiron. I wish I could say that I had heard more about you, but it seems you are quite the mysterious figure around Central City.”

Oliver cleared his throat loudly and Felicity shot him a peeved look, but clamped her lips shut anyway. Oliver waved toward a leather chair seated in front of his desk, and Len obligingly took his seat as Oliver seated himself in the mayor’s chair and Felicity stood stiffly beside him. Deciding to tackle the accusation head on, Len said, “Yes, it’s true that I have only recently surfaced in Central City politics, but I have owned multiple businesses there for years, as well as in Coast City. Once things began to get more serious between me and Barry, I decided that moving to Central City would be prudent since that’s where Barry’s family and business is located.”

Oliver and Felicity shared a knowing look before Oliver turned back to him and said with a casual air of indifference, “From what I understand from Mayor Bellows, you seem to have taken a great interest in S.T.A.R. Laboratories. In fact, we’ve heard that you recently invested over $25 million dollars into its renovation and have procured a seat on their board. That seems incredibly generous, even for the live-in boyfriend of the new owner. It almost makes one wonder what you and Motorcar Industries are getting out of the deal.”

Len relaxed back in the plush leather chair and propped his right foot over his left knee in a show of confidence. With a small quirk of his lips, Len replied lightly, “I’m sure it seems highly suspicious to a man of your history, Mr. Queen, but I can assure you that my only gain in this deal is ensuring a successful future for Barry. Once I explain the situation to you fully, I’m confident that you both will see things in the same light.”

Felicity, apparently tired of being relegated to the background of things, took a measured step closer. Her tone was accusing when she snapped, “Believe me, both Oliver and I would love to hear an explanation from you, Mr. Coldiron. You see, I have a knack for tracking down information on people through computer databases, but even I have found precious little to enlighten us on your history. The paper trail on your existence is thin until roughly five months ago, and the only Len Coldiron I could locate from Coast City died thirty-two years ago.”

Oliver cut in smoothly to add, “I’ve learned the hard way to never ignore my instincts, and ever since I heard the news that Barry Allen was dating a mysterious stranger with deep pockets, my instincts have been screaming that something wasn’t quite right with this picture. You see, Mr. Coldiron, Barry is a very dear friend of mine, too, so I’m sure you understand why I had Felicity do a little background digging on you. It seems you have some secrets, Mr. Coldiron, and until I’m satisfied that you pose no threat to our friend, I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist that you come clean, or you won't be leaving here at all.”

Len sighed heavily and decided to have a little fun of his own before revealing himself. With an arch of his brow, Len drawled, “You would know all about secrets, wouldn’t you, Mr. Queen? Or should I call you Green Arrow?” He paused a moment to enjoy the shocked surprise on Oliver’s face before turning to Felicity. “And you, Miss Smoak. You really should have consulted Cisco on your code name. ‘Overwatch’ is quite catchy, I’ll give you that, but I’m pretty sure that Mr. Ramon could have come up with something with a little more flair, don’t you think?”

Felicity stumbled back on her high heels and Oliver stood swiftly to his feet with a thundercloud look on his face. “Barry would have never divulged that information to you, no matter that you two are dating,” Oliver snarled. “Who are you, and what do you want with us?”

Len stood slowly to his feet as well and brushed a speck of imaginary lint from his suit. “No, Barry didn’t have to tell me your secret identities, because I already knew them. In fact, we’ve met before, but you wouldn’t remember since it hasn’t even happened yet. I’m sure that will make more sense to you 29 years down the line, though.” He offered a cocky grin in return for the scowls on their faces.

With speed that was reminiscent of The Flash, Oliver snatched a bow and arrow from beneath the surface of his wide desk and had the weapon aimed at Len’s heart in the blink of an eye. “You have exactly ten seconds to explain yourself, Mr. Coldiron. If that’s even your real name,” Oliver snapped, his gray-blue eyes focused and cold with fury.

Though Felicity had taken up a stance behind Oliver’s back, her tone was defiant when she added, “I knew there was something fishy about you. If you think you’re going to take advantage of Barry, you’ll find that it won’t be so easy with friends like us at his back.”

Len held his hands up lazily as he replied, “Indeed, Miss Smoak, that is exactly what I had hoped to hear. It was my intention to explain myself from the moment I walked in, Mr. Queen, but my nature wouldn’t allow me to pass up the opportunity to have a little fun first. You are quite right that Len Coldiron is not my real name. It’s just one of many aliases that I have adopted over the years, but my true name is the one that would be most familiar to you both.”

With achingly slow movements, Len moved his right hand to his tie and pressed on the thick knot at the base of his throat to deactivate the hidden facial transmogrifier hidden within the folds. He couldn’t help but enjoy the gasp of shock that issued from Felicity’s throat and the growled curse that slipped from Oliver’s lips as Len’s true identity was revealed. Len gave them his patented sarcastic grin and said, “As you can see, I have a secret identity, too.”

“Leonard Snart?” Oliver exclaimed incredulously. Len wasn’t at all surprised to notice that Oliver’s aim hadn’t faltered and that the glittering tip of the arrow was still aimed at his heart.

“I did _not_ see that coming,” Felicity admitted, awe and confusion coloring her tone. “Sara Lance told us you died while traveling with the Legends crew! How can you be here?”

Before Len could formulate a reply, Oliver spat, “Barry. God dammit! Barry is somehow involved in this, isn’t he?”

Len tipped his head in silent agreement, and ignoring the instrument of certain death pointed at his chest, carefully sat back down in his chair. It wasn’t the first time that Len had a weapon pointed at him, and it likely wouldn’t be the last. “Very astute of you, Oliver. I can call you ‘Oliver’ since we’re all on the same side, right?” Len smirked and continued, “Yes, Barry is the one that saved my life that day thanks to the sneaky interference of my old friend, Mick. If you would be so kind as to put away your toys, I will be happy to tell you both everything. As you can tell, I didn’t bring along my own weapon of choice, so I am no physical threat to you.”

Oliver reluctantly lowered his bow, and without taking his eyes off Len, replaced it in the hiding place beneath his desk. Felicity, apparently having gotten over her initial shock, took the seat next to Len and studied him with eager curiosity. “Who else knows that you’re still alive? There’s Barry, of course, but what about Cisco and Caitlin?” She gasped and covered her mouth with her manicured fingers and blurted, “That’s why Barry broke things off with Iris! It was because of you, wasn’t it?”

Len offered the computer whiz an impudent wink and said, “That’s right, though to be honest, it wasn’t my intention to ever see Barry again after he rescued me, but things didn’t quite turn out that way. And yes, Caitlin and Cisco are both aware of my true identity, as is the West family and the new Harrison Wells.”

Oliver resumed his seat behind the large wooden desk and folded his hands in front of him as he bent a steely look at Len. “I think you should start at the beginning, Snart. The story we were told was that you sacrificed yourself in an explosion to save your team from being hunted by the Time Masters. Why don’t you start there and catch us up?”

Though it was framed as a question, Len understood a demand when he heard it. Since he needed Oliver Queen on his side, he bit back the cynical reply that sprang to his lips and began his tale. He explained about Mick recruiting The Flash to save Len’s life and how Barry had snatched him from the Oculus mere seconds before it exploded. Without giving too many details, he went on to tell them about arriving back in Central City four days early, and how he and Barry had been forced to spend those four days together outside of time.

By this point, Felicity was bracing her chin in her hands and her eyes were shimmery and bright with emotion. She sighed audibly and interrupted, “That is the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard. You two fell in love during that four days, didn’t you?”

Len clenched his jaw against the harsh words of denial that sprang to his lips, but he bit them back. He would never lie about such a thing to anyone except himself, and if telling the truth to a near stranger would encourage their help, then he had no choice. With a brief nod of his head, Len replied, “Yes, but I believed at the time that the best thing for Barry was to let him go. For three long months, we didn’t see each other again until I had no choice but to bring Barry to me in Coast City for a stern conversation about not sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. I found myself unable to part with him again. I'm not known to deny myself something I want, and I wanted him."

The sound of a drawer sliding open alerted Len to Oliver’s silent presence once more. The mayor rifled around in the drawer and he pulled out something before flipping it through the air toward Len. Len’s hand snatched the coin out of the air, and a sly grin spread across his face as he looked down at one of his gold coins.

Oliver Queen’s tone was hard when he said, “I think I know what you were up to for those three months, Snart. It’s all starting to make sense now. Those gold coins started showing up in Star City not long after your return. We found several of them on criminals that SCPD picked up for petty crimes, but not one of them would say where they came from. I take it that you are The Boss that they are so afraid of betraying?”

Len chuckled and flipped the coin back to Oliver, who snatched it from the air and replaced it in his drawer. “I always knew you were smart, Oliver. Yes, those coins have helped fund my growing empire. I’m quite sure you also know that violent crime in both Coast City and Central City has decreased dramatically since I took over the criminal underworld. I was serious when I said that everything I do is to help Barry. I control the crime with my strict rules, and that leaves The Flash free to focus on much bigger and scarier threats to our safety.”

“Like Savitar,” Felicity chimed in. “Caitlin has been keeping us informed of the speed god’s movements. I thought Barry had succeeded in getting rid of him?”

Oliver shot his former flame an annoyed look for cutting his interrogation short, but Len grabbed on to the thread and ran with it. He leveled a serious look at both of them in turn, and replied tightly, “That’s what we all thought, but when Barry threw the Brahmastra into the Speed Force, he was sucked in along with it by the backlash.”

“What happened?” Oliver’s voice cracked like a whip.

Len slipped a hand into his suitcoat’s inner pocket and retrieved the recording device and placed it on the shiny surface of Oliver’s desk. “For the first time ever, Barry traveled to the future on his own. What he saw happen there is the entire reason I am sitting in front of you now.”

Felicity plucked the device up and studied it closely. “This is a recording device. What does this have to do with Barry traveling to the future?”

Len briefly explained how he came to have the recording of Barry’s conversation with Jay Garrick after he returned from the future. Locking eyes with Green Arrow, Len concluded, “Once I play this recording for you, I’m hoping you’ll begin to understand why I’ve sought you out. If this future happens the way I believe it will, Barry will need your help.”

“Play it,” Oliver commanded as he leaned forward in his chair to listen attentively.

Len pressed play on the recorder and listened to his Scarlet’s panicked conversation with Jay Garrick for the umpteenth time. By now, he could recite the entire thing from memory, but it was important for his audience to hear every nuance of the speedster’s emotion as he begged Jay to tell him that Len’s death wasn’t his destiny.

When the player clicked to a stop, the office was silent. Len glanced at Felicity and was surprised to find fat tears rolling down her face as she covered her mouth with her hand. Oliver’s expression was closed and gave away none of his thoughts about what he’d just heard. Len cleared his throat and forced himself to do the one thing he loathed to do. Ask for help.

“So you see, Oliver,” Len addressed him directly, “In five months, Savitar will be back and bent on revenge. If he succeeds in killing me in front of Barry as I expect he will, The Flash will need someone he trusts to force him to go on. No matter what you may think of me, you should know that Barry and I share a very real and deep connection. My death will utterly destroy him, and I think Savitar knows that. He will use my death as the distraction he needs to wreak his revenge on Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin for imprisoning him in the future. No one will be safe, and the only one who could stop him will be drowning in grief and mourning.”

“We have to help him, Oliver,” Felicity’s voice quavered, but there was a core of steel beneath them. “Both of them.”

The blueprints in Len’s mind shifted and glowed as he added Felicity Smoak to his list of players. She was a powerful and quite useful addition to Barry’s arsenal, and his Scarlet would need every one of his friends at his back if the worst happened. Len’s gaze shifted back to the younger man and their gazes caught and held for long moments. Oliver was the one he needed to convince. He was the only one that could force Barry to keep on running and to put his grief on the backburner until Savitar was destroyed.

Oliver blinked slowly and he finally asked, “What do you need me to do, Snart?”

Len didn’t smile and he didn’t gloat at the man’s capitulation. This was too important to fuck up with such trivial emotions. “For now? Very little. I understand that you have quite a full plate of your own to deal with here in Star City. However, should events unfold as Barry has witnessed and I die at the hands of the speed god, I will need you and the rest of Team Arrow to provide backup for the army I am building to help The Flash. Savitar is powerful, fast, and invisible to everyone except other speedsters. Perhaps with the combined talents of Miss Smoak, Cisco, and Caitlin, they can find a way to work around that little problem, but mostly, I just need you there to force Barry to move on. You long ago mastered the art of closing off your emotions in order to get the job done, and I will need you there to help Barry do the same when the time comes. You can’t let the grief consume him, or countless people will die. Do you understand what I’m asking of you, Oliver?”

Oliver nodded his head slowly. “You need me to kick his ass and force him to fight. You realize that if I do this, he may well end up hating me for it?”

Len nodded his head in agreement, and replied, “I expect as much, but what other choice do I have? His friends and his family are too soft emotionally to do whatever it takes to keep him on the right path.” He ignored Felicity’s outraged objection, and continued, “You are the only one that has the strength to make the hard decisions that will ensure that Barry puts that suit on and fights Savitar. Even if it costs your friendship.”

The muscle in Oliver Queen’s jaw flexed and his grayish blue eyes were like chips of diamond as he replied, “Why are you so sure that the future will even happen the way he saw it? According to Jay Garrick, it was just one of many possible futures that could happen.”

Len arched an eyebrow and drawled, “Don’t make me question your intelligence this far into the conversation, Oliver. You and I both know that the worst always happens, especially to good people. And there is no one on this earth better than Barry Allen. Will you help him or not?”

Felicity answered for him. “Of course he will help Barry. All of us will help him. Won’t we, Oliver?” she addressed the mayor with a warning ringing clear in her tone.

Oliver stood to his feet, and Len followed him. Oliver stuck his hand out, and Len clasped palms with him for a firm shake. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep The Flash fighting, but it is my sincere wish that it won’t come to that. I may not like you, Snart, but it’s clear that you care about him, and that’s all that matters to me. Do your best not to die in five months, though. I’d really rather not lose my friendship with Barry Allen over your death.”

Len nodded in agreement and turned to offer his hand to Felicity. He was surprised when the curvy blond threw herself into his arms and squeezed him tight for a brief moment. Her eyes were shiny behind her glasses when she said, “I know what it’s like to lose someone you love, Len. I never want Barry to suffer through that, so take care of yourself. Your fate isn’t set in stone. In the meantime, I will contact S.T.A.R. Labs and begin working on a way to make the speed god visible to everyone. It’s difficult to hit a target you can’t see.”

Len allowed a small smile to tip the corner of his lips and he offered the feisty hacker a bow of thanks. “You have my sincere gratitude. Both of you. I’m sure we’ll see each other again when the Labs hosts its grand opening in the spring. I know Barry would love to see you both there.”

Oliver escorted Len to the door, but before Len could step through, the mayor placed a staying hand on his shoulder and leaned in to whisper menacingly in his ear, “I’m sure it goes without saying that Star City is off limits to your growing criminal empire. I don’t trust you, Snart, but I do believe you have Barry’s best interests at heart. But if I hear even whispered rumors about you hurting him, I will not hesitate to use you for target practice, and I never miss.”

Len offered Oliver Queen a sarcastic smirk as he pressed the button hidden in his tie to reactive his disguise. “Believe me, Mr. Mayor, I have zero interest in your city. I only pursue profitable ventures, and there is nothing of value in Star City to tempt me.”

Without another word, Len closed the door behind him and made his way back to the front of the building. By the time he made it to the bottom of the steps outside, Rob was waiting with the door open to the SUV. Len slipped inside and settled into the plush leather seats and closed his eyes. It was a very long drive back to Central City, but they had a stop to make on the way back.

Opal City was a short detour along the way, and Len needed to scout potential locations for his headquarters and meet with his contacts in order to review the intel they had gathered on the criminal underworld in the small, suburban city. Len had big plans to pluck the ripe, low-hanging fruit of Opal City, and just because he may die in five months didn’t mean that he couldn’t move forward with his plans. Len had five months left to solidify his empire before he passed it on to Lisa. He would do everything in his power to make sure that both his Scarlet and his sister never had to worry about money again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **As promised, here is the interaction with Oliver and Len. It wasn't as dramatic as I expecting, but then again, Oliver Queen isn't given to dramatics. Thank you again to all you amazing readers that have left kudos and comments. Your kindness and support has kept me going, and I owe every word I type to you guys! Have an amazing weekend, and I'll see you all again soon with the next part!**


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